Worker Bee
by InnocentTraitor22
Summary: Gilderoy Lockhart is exactly the type of pompous Peacock who would bring his own personal assistant to Hogwarts with him. Veronica is overworked, under-appreciated and doesn't get paid nearly enough money to put up the likes of Gilderoy Lockhart. and yet there she is. Sticks to Canon story line.
1. Veronica

**Author's Note:**

 **I have written 37 stories, 15 of which are unfinished/on hiatus and are in need of updating, meanwhile I have at least three more Ideas buzzing in my head, dying to be typed up. ….If that doesn't describe my life perfectly, I don't know what does.**

 **However I feel the need to type this up simply because I have searched and found none like it and My policy is if you can't find it, write it. So here it is, kinda. Please be kind I own nothing.**

"Veronica! Where is my peacock feather quill, the one I use to reply fan mail with?"

Veronica rolled her eyes as she struggled with the stack of books that weight her down as she propped her chin on the top book so she could see over the stack, "It's on your desk sir!" she yelled from the other room. With a Grunt she set the stack of books on the dining room table next to a large wooden crate, she began to orderly stack the books in the crate. Wishing she had known what she would have been doing so she could have dressed appropriately, she readjusted her white, high collar, button up blouse and slipped off her navy blue suit jacket. She also had unfortunately wore a matching navy blue pencil skirt and black heels.

"Ronnie I just can't thank you enough for helping me with all this." A tall man with bright blue eyes and golden blonde hair sauntered into the dining room as the girl pushed blackish-brown hair that had fallen out of her bun out of her face. "Then again, it is what I pay you for" he thought out loud and Veronica resisted the urge to scoff, she didn't get paid nearly enough for this! Coming over to her boss's house at the crack of dawn to help him pack, if you could call it that, Veronica called it her doing all the grunt work while he spent three hours trying to figure out what robes to bring with him to his new job.

Teaching at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, why anyone would hire this man as a teacher was well beyond her.

"Well, that's the last of it." She sighed, the man turned back to her with a bright charming smile that she had grown to resent after three years, "Excellent, You take the books and I'll take my luggage."

Veronica cast a dreading look at the stacks of horribly heavy crates that held dozens of copies of Gilderoy Lockhart's books. "Come, come we mustn't dally." The blonde man chippered as Veronica grunted as she lifted a heavily book crate and hauled it over to the fire place. After toting the darned thing all the way in she grabbed a hand full of Floo Powder, "Hogwarts School, Lockhart's Office" she chanted and dropped the powder. The green fire wasn't hot but it was very very warm and in a split second she was standing in the fireplace of a large office.

It took her three minutes to haul the box out of the hearth and over to a shelf, breaking a light sweat as she did so. Her boney body wasn't built for heavy lifting, when she had applied for the job she thought it would be filing and secretarial work, and most of the time it was. Veronica Largo applied for a personal assistant job when she was twenty five years old after she was laid off from her job as a book keeper at Gringotts, the employer was a well known author, but Veronica never read his books, it was never meant to be a career, she had planned to work until she was back on her feet.

That was three years ago.

Lockhart arrived with a small carry on as Veronica was arranging the books on the shelf, Lockhart owned several copies of his own books and was a text book narcissist, not that Veronica would ever vocalize that, goodness me never. Shy, soft-spoken, Veronica Largo the proverbial punching bag of all authority figures, bosses, parents, boyfriends.

No Spine, not an ounce of courage or self-respect, good at her job, the perfect little worker bee for a narcissist.

"Hop-to my dear only four more crates to go, not counting the suitcases that is." Lockhart said lightheartedly and Veronica nodded. "Right away sir" she complied and moved for the floo again, a half an hour later all the crates where delivered, now it was time to unpack. While Lockhart lounged in his desk chair, Veronica was arranging and stacking books on the shelves when they both heard a knock on the door.

Turning her head slightly Veronica caught sight of an elderly looking man with a long snowy white bread and ruby colored robes. "Gilderoy, good to see you." The Old man said cheerfully as he entered the office, "Professor Dumbledore, and you as well sir." Lockhart stood and shook hands with the man. "I hoped to get an early start, lots to do you know."

Veronica returned to her work, stepping up another bar on the step stool to reach the top shelve. "Gilderoy, won't you introduce me to the young lady to the stool?" Albus interrupted him, Lockhart turned having forgotten Veronica was even there. "Oh yes, of course. Ronnie could you come here please?" Veronica slowly climbed down the stool and primly approached the two, "Headmaster Dumbledore, I would like you to meet my personal assistant Ronnie Lovejoy…"

"Largo" Veronica corrected quickly, and offered her hand to the Headmaster to shake, "Veronica Largo, Headmaster it is very nice to meet you." She said politely. "And you as well, how long have you worked with Gilderoy?" the headmaster asked, "Three years" she stated bluntly.

"Well…" the headmaster nodded, "I do hope to see you at the start of the year feast tomorrow." With that the headmaster smiled and left them both. Lockhart turned to her in confusion, "Largo, for how long?" she looked at him with a slightly amused look, "since Birth, sir."

Veronica finished with the books and sighed, it was about noon now, but she wasn't hungry. To avoid spending more time with Lockhart then needed she informed him that she was going to see the green houses and left the office quickly. She didn't despise Lockhart, but she wasn't all together fond of him either. The main reason she stayed was because she knew for a fact that the man wouldn't be about to function without her.

The halls were all empty, students wouldn't arrive until tomorrow night. Her heels clicked and echoed off the walls of the halls as she reached the outdoors courtyard, she really had no idea where she was going. She never attended Hogwarts, Her parents sent her to school in Massachusetts in the States, a Co-ed magic school located in an old run down boarding school that had been shut down to the public for years. She was the middle child of five children from an upper-middle class family,, as such she quickly learned to be fairly independent from a young age.

Her mother was a Muggle and her Father was a half blood wizard, only Veronica and her Older sister Heather where magic.

Veronica never considered herself a looker, her thin body never invoked the whistles of men on the street, no man ever offered her free drinks at a bar. Not that she minded, hell she couldn't even remember that last time she entered a bar. She was rather plain looking actually, her nose was narrow and slightly sloped. Her hair, which was almost always pinned up out of the way in a large clam clip with only her bangs covering her forehead, was simply brown as well as her eyes. Her face was small round with low cheek bones. The only thing she was really proud of was her lips, which with the proper lip coloring were full and plump.

But she didn't completely discredit herself, she knew she was smart. You couldn't have an IQ of 119 and _not_ be smart. She also considered herself a good person, sure she might not always go out of her way to be nice to someone, but she did not go out of her way to be nasty either.

Veronica arrived at the green houses and found a plump, little grey haired woman in a dirty yellow robe are flitting across the small building. "Uh, hello?" she announced herself and the woman looked up, "Oh, hello there." She said cheerfully, "I was told we would be getting a new Defense teacher, I am professor Sprout, but you can call me Pomona." Veronica shook her hand, "Veronica Largo, nice to meet you but I'm not the new teacher, I am Mr. Lockhart's personal assistant."

"Oh, well it's nice to meet you none the less dear, did you need something or?" Veronica shook her head, "No ma'am, uh, I was just wandering around. And I always loved Herbology so I figured the green houses might be a nice starting place." She looked around, "But I can leaving if you like, I completely under stand if…" the older woman shook her hands, "Perish the thought, come in make yourself at home, I was just snipping off some Lachrymose sprouts for the Potions Master, he needed some stock for the ingredients cabinet.

"Oh, do you need any help?" she asked, Sprout shrugged and handed her a pair of long, thin, shiny scissors. "Do you know where to cut?" she asked and Veronica nodded, "oh yes ma'am," she assure the older, shorter woman.

"So, what is it like working with the famous Gilderoy Lockhart?" she asked and Veronica shrugged, "It's okay I guess, I mean I work _for_ him mostly. Paper work, book signings, coffee runs."

"Afternoon Pomona" a deep voice greeted from the entry way, in a tone that could only be described as utterly neutral. They turned and Sprout Nodded, "Good afternoon Severus, I'm just about done actually if you wouldn't mind waiting a moment." Severus nodded and leaned slightly on the wall, glancing at the unfamiliar woman passively, "Dumbledore finally get you an assistant?" he noted and Pomona looked back at Veronica.

"Oh no, forgive me. Veronica this is the school's Potions Master Severus Snape. Severus this is Veronica…uh... forgive me dear what was your last name?" Veronica smiled and set aside the shears and papery stocks to take in the Stoic looking man. He had longish black hair and a long narrow hooked nose like a hawk. His eyes were black and piercing. The frown on his face seemed to be a permanent fixture on his face. All in all an intimidating figure.

"Largo, Veronica Largo. I'm Mister L… pardon me… _Professor_ Lockhart's personal assistant." She offered her hand politely, "It's very nice to meet you sir."

He shook her hand, though he seemed a bit reluctant to do so. Veronica noticed his face feel slightly when she mentioned Lockhart. "Lockhart does strike me as the sort of person to have a Personal Assistant." He muttered. "Here we are" Pomona handed the black clad man a container of the spears. Veronica looked around, "Well it was very nice to meet you two but I should really go before…."

She was cut off buy the last thing she wanted to hear, " _Ronnie_ " Veronica flinched. 'Bugger' she thought as Gilderoy Lockhart, in all his flamboyant, lavender colored glory strode up to the green house like a peacock. "I was just on my way back sir" she forced a smile. To the other two people in the greenhouse the state of the smile was rather obvious, but Lockhart didn't seem to notice.

"I wanted to talk you about all this Fan mail I'm getting, I can't possibly answer it all myself." Veronica resisted rolling her eyes and nodded "Yes sir…I'll get right on that." She sighed and turned back to Severus and Sprout. "Well it has been nice talking to you but I have to go." She smiled halfheartedly. "good bye"

She hurried off after Lockhart, wanted to start working on the letters as soon as possible so as to get them done quickly. Some of them were really rather disturbing.

Professor Sprout and Snape watched after her, "Well she seems sweet" the older woman noted with a smile but Severus frowned, "I suppose, thank you again" he nodded and Sprout waved it off "any time."

/

Veronica sat at the desk with a worn quill and bottle of lavender ink. She was a quarter of the way through the stack, and had written thirty letters. She wrote on pale blue custom made parchment, Lockhart thought it was more charming, but Veronica thought the lavender was hard to read on the blue. She set the quill down and grabbed her wrist, twisting and stretching it. At this rate she would get carpal tunnel for the second time in two years.

"There she is" Lockhart enter from behind her making her jump, "how are those letters coming?" she sighed, "Thirty down, and…" she glanced at the stack, or rather, stack _s_. "thirty thousand to go" she joked weakly. Lockhart chuckled, "always the joker," he glanced at the clock it was approaching nine thirty, "it's getting pretty late, I think I'm going to turn in." Veronica closed her eyes and swallowed hard, "Mr. Lockhart." She said suddenly. "I wonder if I can talk to you about something." Lockhart nodded, "I don't see why not"

Veronica sighed, she had meant to bring this up for a while. "About my pay, Um, I…. I have been working for you for three years now, and have been making a steady 5,595.58 galleons a year. Which is average for the starting years of a Personal Assistant I know, but…."

"Veronica" Lockhart stopped her and stepped forward and sat at the table beside her. He patted her hand gently in the condescending sort of way that she had grown to tolerate to a point over the past three years, "Ronnie, Ronnie, Ronnie." He tutted. "I know you have been working hard for me all these years, and due to this you do deserve compensation for this. But look at it this way, you are working for one of the greatest wizards of this time, Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and Five time Winner or Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award."

Lockhart flashed her that blinding white grin, "How many lucky young witches can say that? Only one. And you know who that is..?" He reached forward and booped her nose, "You" He chuckled and began to get up, "Well I do enjoy our little chats, but we have a big day ahead of us, have to get my beauty rest."

Veronica forced down her disappointment and indignation and forced a small smile, "of course sir, Have a good night"

"And I good night to you to Ronnie" he waved back at her as he walked up the stair case to the door that lead to his quarters. Veronica waited until the door clicked shut before sighing, "It's Veronica" she corrected to the empty air….

 **Hope you enjoyed, Tell me what you think or is I should continue this**

 **I am hoping for this to be a Snape/oc Friendship. I am aware that Veronica isn't the most badass of women but I'm hoping for a good amount of character development. BTW I ran the exchange rate I galleon is equal to 4.93 pound sterling so 5, 595.58 galleons is equal to 27,586 GBP which is the median pay for a personal assistant in the UK according to the website I checked.**


	2. A Reason for Meeting

**I'm back! Thanks for the review from "Angela" and the two follows and one fav! Love ya! I still own nothing.**

Veronica had been up until eleven finishing the Letters, and by the time she was finished the writing style had had gone from sincere sounding replies personalized to the letter they had written to short paragraphs that were now nearly identical and monotone.

 _Dear (Enter name here),_

 _Thank you for your consistent support…_

Yahda yahda yahda, Veronica didn't waste any brain power on it as she wrote each letter in Lockhart's hand writing, a skill she had perfected over the years. It wasn't that hard to mimic, Lockhart's handwriting was girly enough that it actually didn't veer far from those loopy curly letters printed in colored glitter on the cover of a pre-teen girl's journal.

After she finished sealing the last envelope, she leaned back far in the wooden chair, the back of it pressing into her spine until her joints popped. Veronica's eye lids barely stayed open as she grabbed the brass candle stick that held a half melted wax pillar. When Lockhart arranged for Veronica to come with him, there wasn't an extra room for her to stay in but thankfully the castle was adaptable. Veronica remembered her grandfather saying that when a building is as old as this one, it more or less becomes its own being. And he would know old buildings, Veronica's Grandfather was a World War two veteran, a military man, Major-General Marcus Weatherbee, but to Veronica and her siblings he was just called Grandfather or Sir.

But as for Veronica's living arrangement there was a small storage Area located under the classroom that was easily transformed into a modest living quarters what had a tiny bathroom, sink, toilet, and stall shower. Veronica sighed and used the dim candle light to manage the narrow stone staircase that led down, down, down under the class room. Unfortunately for her it was colder than an icebox down here.

The living quarter's walls were solid stone with a small grey stone hearth and two windows, narrow and high on the wall. Veronica came to realize that since the Defense class room was on the ground floor, the room she stayed in was more or less underground, except for a slight sliver which is where the windows were to let in some light. Like the rest of the castle there was little electricity, so the room was lit with at least a dozen candles around the room. The bed was small but comfortable, there was an armchair by the fireplace, a large wooden wardrobe, and two book shelves she had already filled with her expansive book collecting, mostly muggle novels.

Yes it would work quite well seeing the little time she would be there, since Lockhart had her buzzing this way and that on top of the other favors she did for people considering it seemed she couldn't say no. But now she was momentarily free; with a genuine, albeit small smile she sat on the edge of the bed and removed her high heels, then carefully unbuttoned the small metal buttons of her navy suit jacket and slipped that off as well. It was still cold, so rubbing her hands together to produce friction Veronica produced her wand (Unicorn hair, willow wood, 11 ½ inches) and pointed it at the logs in the hearth.

"Incendio" she muttered and shot a quick flame as the wood which caught quickly and began to snap and crackle as the bark scorched. She realized the poor design of the hearth, seeing as there was no way to ventilate the smoke. She frowned and looked up at one of the windows, with a slight flick of her wand it opened a crack so the smoke could blow out. It was approaching eleven thirty now and if she wanted to get anything done the next day she would have to turn in soon.

Opening the wardrobe her clothes were neatly organized into sections of nightclothes, dresses, blouses, skirts and jackets, with the drawers underneath for undergarments, pants, shoes and other accessories. She slipped a long, teal cotton night gown, with thick straps but no sleeves off a hanger and laid it on the bed, grabbed her linen robe, and made for the bathroom to shower quickly, knowing she would have no time in the morning to do so.

"I hope there Hot water down here" she muttered and turned the knob to the right and grabbed a towel from the cabinet over the toilet. Sure enough, functional hot water, thankfully; She slipped into the column shaped shower and washed quickly. Shampoo, conditioner, the whole shebang in under ten minutes. "Okay, a few chapters of Stephen King and then sleep" she wrung out her hair and then wrapped it up in the towel after slipping on her robe. Veronica found herself wondering what new chances being here would bring her.

The two teachers she had met seemed nice enough, the Man was a bit sullen sure but polite. What was his name again? It started with an S she was sure of it, she also remembered it was a Roman family name. Severus, yes that was it, Severus Snape. God even his name was intimidating.

She rolled her eyes and removed the towel, running a large wide toothed comb through the long damp strands and parted her hair to the side then began to braid it so it would dry wave in the morning. It had begun to rain outside, large droplets of water hitting the glass of the windows like BB pellets. A song popped into her head randomly and she smiled at the familiar tune, "A Gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain, softly blows o'er lullaby bay." She hummed as she finished off the braid and tired a rubber band tight around the end.

She sighed and stood, shuffling over to the book shelf with the candle stick in hand. "it fills the sails of boats that are waiting, waiting to sail your worries away" she ran her fingers and eyes over the spines of dozens of books, leather bound, cardboard and canvas, paperbacks, blues and reds and greens and browns. Until she pulled a hardback with paper slip off the shelf between a leather bound and warn paperback. "This'll Do." She nodded and carried both the book and candle over to the night stand, "It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain, and your boat waits down by the key. The winds of night so softly are sighing, soon they will fly your worries to sea" she whistled

She pulled back the quilt, blanket, and sheet, knowing she would need all three. She could only imagine what it would be like in the winter, she would have to wear two layers just to shower. However the fire had warmed the room comfortably for now, she thumbed the pages until she reached a scrap of paper that served as a bookmark. Thunder boomed outside, making her jump a little and look at the window. Maybe Stephen King in the middle of the night with during a thunderstorm wasn't such a great idea after all.

With a grumble Veronica stood up and began to blow out all the candles around the room, then moving to pull the grate out in front of the fire so no sparks or embers would jump out of the hearth. She also kept the window open a crack so she wouldn't die of smoke inhalation during the night, wouldn't that be a way to start the year? Soon the only light was the fire and the candle, which she carried with her over to the bed side table, she crawled under the covers and blew out the candle before laying down for a solid six hours of sleep before morning.

 _ **(The Next Morning)**_

"Good Morning Sir" Veronica chimed, a daybook under her arm and a coffee in one hand. Veronica was Lockhart's morning wake up call, she didn't have to worry about walking into anything considering the man slept in silk nightclothes, curlers and an eye mask. Veronica herself woke up at six a.m. every morning, readied for the day, ate, drank about two cups of coffee and then woke up Lockhart at seven thirty.

"Huh, what?" Lockhart grunted, now half awake. Veronica rolled her eyes openly now that he couldn't see her, "Your coffee is on the nightstand sir." She set the cup on the table and taking advantage of the moment stuck out her tongue childishly, returning to her chipper demeanor as soon as he pulled off the eye mask. "Big day, let's see." She flipped open the day planner. The majority of the task were hers to do but he did still have to seem like he was running the show, under her careful and subtle direction of course.

"There is breakfast at your desk and remember the students are arriving tonight so any last minute changes have to be done before them and no later" Lockhart groaned, "Uh huh" he nodded, not really listening. "I'll leave you to get ready, Headmaster Dumbledore wanted a word with me this morning and It would be rude to keep him waiting." She excused herself and quickly made her way out and into the hall. Many would wonder how someone could move so fast in heels, but Veronica had mastered the art working at the Ministry as a book keeper/messenger.

She had receive a message from a House Elf that the Headmaster wanted a word with her. She arrived at the Gargoyle statue, "Lemondrop?" she tried and the statue slid to the side to reveal a stair case. "I need to start varying my shoes styles" she muttered and began to climb the stairs, seriously thinking about trading in heels for flats or at the very least getting insoles.

She arrived at the top and knocked on the door. "Enter" an old voice called from inside, she turned the knob and pushed open the door, which creaked slightly. "You wanted to see me sir?" she asked as the Old wizard stood up from behind his desk, "Good morning Miss. Largo, good of you to come so soon." She nodded. He motioned to an arm chair, "Come sit." She did so quickly, "Care for a liquorish snap?" he offered her from a small glass candy bowl, "Oh no that you sir, but thank you." She shook her head.

"Now there is something I wanted to bring up with you actually" he began and sat down in the chair parallel to hers, "Now Professor Lockhart has brought you here as his assistant I am assuming that counts in the class room as well." Veronica nodded, "Yes sir, Mr. Lockhart has requested that I lend a hand when needed in the class room." The old man nodded, "You've worked with Gilderoy for three years now is that correct?"

Veronica nodded, "Yes sir." Dumbledore eyed her, "Miss Largo you do know the school policy on inter-staff relationships, do you not?" Veronica eyed him, "yes…. With all due respect where exactly is this going sir?"

" Well I can't help but wonder in that time if your and his relationship has passed a bit beyond….professional?" Veronica's eyes widened, "Oh, you think…? He and I….? Oh God no sir!" she shook her head and laughed at the very idea, "Mr. Lockhart and I's work relationship is strictly professional…" she thought, "Barely that even, sometimes he doesn't even remember my last name." Dumbledore nodded, "Yes I remember that. Well, I just thought I would be safer to address it now, as opposed to later in the year." Veronica nodded, "I completely understand Sir." She said, internally screaming.

 _HER_ and _LOCKHART_? Had the world gone completely _MAD_?!

Then again being a _personal assistant_ did come with some negative connotation, especially if you're the personal assistant of a celebrity. "Will that be all sir?" she asked quickly and Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, I'm sorry if I offended you but…"

"No, no, It's fine I mean. I know some people tend to suspect it but…" she shrugged like it was no big deal. "Anyway, have a good day sir" she nodded but didn't make Eye contact as she left. Her and Lockhart was he out of his mind?! She didn't know if she should gag or laugh. She closed her eyes in an attempt to wipe the very idea from her brain.

On the way down she felt a strong force hit her left shoulder, knocking the day book out from under her arm. A second clattering sound told her whoever it was had dropped something as well

"Oh, so Sorry." She said quickly and knelt down to pick up the black notebook as well as the stranger's book as well, "I should have been watching where I was going, I am very sorry" she handed the other black book to them, looked up and froze. Severus Snape's black eyes bore down on her making her blood run cold as ice.

"Very sorry sir." She croaked and swallowed hard, "Here you are" Severus looked down and quickly snatched the black book from her, "not a problem" he grunted. "Right, have a good day sir" she nodded and continued down the stairs twice her former speed, doubly embarrassed.

Could this morning get anymore awkward?

With a deep breath she tucked the daybook under her arm and made for the Defense classroom, hoping Lockhart hadn't drowned in his own coffee while she was gone. She arrived in the class room to find Lockhart attempting to open the cabinet which contained spare "Text Books" for those students who hadn't been able to buy one. She rolled her eyes and put on a fake Smile before walking over to him. "Pardon me sir." She nudged past him and pulled a small copper latch that locked the cabinet.

"Here you are sir" she opened the small doors. "Oh uh…" Lockhart sputtered, "I'm sure I just loosened it for you." He smirked knowingly and Veronica nodded wide eyed. "Of course sir." She agreed. She walked away and leaned on a small desk, "let's see…" she opened the black day book and looked down only to squint in confusion. "what the…" she flipped a few pages in and read.

Potions instructions…what the… wait.

Professor Sprout said Snape was the _Potions Master_.

Both books were thin and black, relatively the same size and both had a black ribbon marker. The books must have gotten mixed up when they dropped them.

Veronica closed the book and let her head droop and little as she groaned.

This was just not her morning.


	3. A Rough First Day

**Hey! There's a Harry Potter Marathon on ABC so I'm taking advantage of it. I own nothing.**

Veronica's time was so taken up with the little things Lockhart had either forgotten or dismissed that she hadn't had the time to approach Snape until later that evening. With a pencil stuck into her hair, which she kept on hand because she found it more convenient then a quill, and the note book tucked into the crook of her arm along with a glass jar of preserved Death Cap mushrooms Professor Sprout had asked her to take to him since she was on her way down there, Veronica was led by torch light down into the dungeons.

The students would be arriving within the hour so she would have to move quickly. Turning a corner sharply she felt a strong tug at her hair, causing her to stumble back and yelp. "Ow!" she squeaked, she looked around, expecting to see someone behind her but only gazing at open air until another sharp jerk pulled her head to the side and causing a good chuck of hair to fall out of her bun. "Ow! What the…?!" a high pitched cackle made her hair stand on end as she was assaulted again and again.

The notebook and jar clattered to the floor as Veronica tried to duck and shield her head from the attacks. " _Peeves!"_ A deep, angry voice boomed down the hall, causing the attacks to stop suddenly. "What's going on here?" whatever it was cackled and a burst of wind hit Veronica as it zoomed away. She straightened up, panting slightly and staring off down the hall. "What in the world was that?!" she gasped. Severus Snape sneered in the direction Peeves fled, "Peeves, the resident Poltergeist. Likes to cause trouble."

Veronica swallowed hard and tucked a chuck of hair behind her ear. "Right, well I'll have to be more careful then." She shook the attack off and turned back to the Professor. "I was just coming to see you actually, Professor" she knelt down and collected the fallen items, thankfully the jar hadn't broken. "Uh, Professor Sprout told me to give you these sir. Death Dap Mushrooms…"

"I know what they are thank you." Severus cut her off, Veronica nodded "Right and uh, and this as well…" she handed him the black notebook, "I suppose when I ran into you this morning I mixed up the books. I meant to return it sooner but I haven't had any time, terribly sorry Sir." Severus took the book slowly. "Thank you Miss…."

"Largo sir." Veronica filled in the blank. Severus nodded, "Right. Well, I have to take these to the Potions class room anyway, if you care to follow I will return your book." Veronica's shoulders sagged slightly with relief. "Of course, thank you sir."

Severus eyed her carefully as she walked slightly behind him, "you know, you needn't call me that." Veronica thought, "what? Sir?" the hall was empty and two sets of footsteps echoed off the stone walls. "What should I call you then?" Severus shrugged shortly, "You could use my name." Veronica shook her head, "I couldn't do that, I mean unless we became friends." Severus grunted and paused, "Call me sir"

Veronica nodded, "yes sir"

They arrived to the potions classroom, which was set up in one of the dungeons under the castle. "Your book is on the desk over there." He pointed to a student's table near the front of the class room. "Thank you" she made for the desk and slipped the little black book under her arm. She glanced at the large desk at the front of the room and walked up to it curiously. On the wooden top was the Evening Edition of the Daily Prophet, headlining the front page was a moving picture of a flying Ford Anglia. She frowned and shook her head. _some people_ she thought disapprovingly before turning to Severus who had disappeared into a small back room that served as a potions closet

"Shall we head up to the Grand hall then?" she suggested, "We'd be a bit late, the students have probably already arrived but I'm sure we can still make it in time for the Sorting Ceremony."

Severus nodded silently, Veronica picked up on the fact that he wasn't much of a conversationalist, but it was nice change from Lockhart's constant nattering. Plus she didn't want to walk up alone and risk running into that Peeves again. Reminded of the incident she reached up and realized her hair was still a wreck. With a sigh she let down the rest of her locks, which when down fell to her bum (Her mother often insisted that Veronica's hair was her best feature so to keep her happy, Veronica kept it long) and gathered it up again before twisting it tightly and wrapping it up into a neat smooth bun.

Severus set the jar on a high shelf in the Potions closet and closed it firmly band locked it with a large skeleton key before he made for the door again. They walked in utter silence until Veronica felt a tad awkward, but still didn't say anything, only casting a look around every so often so she wouldn't be caught off guard by anything else. Once they reached the corridor adjacent to the outdoor court yard Veronica stopped suddenly.

"Did you hear something?" she asked and Severus stopped to listen before shaking his head, "Come on." They started off again until Veronica's ear perked up. It sounded like something being smashed, like a soda can, far off in the distance, "Okay I know I heard something that time." She said firmly. Severus rolled his eyes and looked back at her slightly as she darted off to the side railing and listened to the still night air "What are you…?"

"Listen." She shushed and closed her eyes. The sound was faint but clear, something definitely sounded like it was being crushed. Whatever it was, Severus seemed to know and his eyes widened quickly. "Follow me." He commanded and she complied swiftly, her heels clicking rapidly with each short hastened step. _These shoes where NOT made or running!_ She thought as her ankle nearly rolled under her.

They reached a door leading outside. "Wait here" he pointed to the ground in a tone that indicated that she should not move a single inch. He swept off sharply with his cape rippling slightly behind him, reminding Veronica of smoke or a bat. Veronica looked around nervously, it was well past dark now and she fidgeted with her clothing until Severus returned with an irate look on his face and two young boys in tow by the back of their cloaks. "It would appear I have found the source of the commotion Miss Largo, if you would be so kind as to accompany myself and these two down stairs I would be most grateful." Severus spat the words in a way that could only be described as a snarl.

"Should I go fetch Headmaster Dumbledore sir?" she asked and Severus shook his head, "I have already sent Mr. Filtch to do so" Veronica nodded and pulled out her wand, "Lumos" she muttered and lit the way for them down to the Dungeons once again. The two boys, one with flaming red hair and bright blue eyes and the other with jet black mess hair and emerald green eyes, stood before the teacher's desk looking nothing short of terrified.

On the desk was still a copy of the evening addition of the Daily Prophet, which told the story of a flying car over London, apparently the Ministry was having a conniption. Severus sat at the desk and fumed, nearly too angry to speak. "You were seen!" Severus boomed and the boys shrunk, "but no less than seven muggles!" Veronica picked up the paper and read, her stomach sinking. This was not good, not good at all.

"Do you have _any_ idea how _serious_ this is?! You have risked the exposure of our world!" Severus's face was drawn and his lips thinned into a line, "Not to mention the damage inflicted on a Whomping willow that has been on these grounds since before you were born!" The red head gulped, "with all due respect Professor, but I think it did more damage to us." Veronica held her face in her hands, thankful she no longer worked at the ministry, if she did she would most likely be the one filing crates of paper work to cover this all up, memories to be wiped, cover stories, and interrogations.

 _Who in Merlin's name builds a flying car?!_ She found herself thinking.

"Silence" Severus snapped and stood swiftly, "believe me when I say that if you were in Slytherin and you're fate left to me both of you would be on the first train home _**Tonight!**_ " Severus paused, probably trying to reign back his fury, "As it is…"

"They are not." A croaking voice cut in and all turned to see Filtch leading in Headmaster Dumbledore and an older woman with greying black hair and emerald robes with a pair of small rectangle glasses perched on her nose. "Headmaster Dumbledore" Severus straightened up and pointed at the two student's "these two have flouted the Degree for Restriction against Underage Magic, as such…"

"I am well aware of our bylaws Severus, considering I had written a few of them myself" the Old Wizard approached the group, "But as Head of Gryffindor house it is for Professor McGonagall to determine the appropriate action" Veronica stared at the Older woman. She didn't know it but her knuckles had turned white clutching the day planner.

The two boys looked at the ground and the red head spoke first, "we're go get our things then." He said mournfully and the woman looked at them curiously, "what are you talking about Mr. Weasley?" the red head looked up, "you're going to expel us aren't you?" McGonagall bit her lip and shook her head reluctantly, "not today Mr. Weasley" both boys' faces perked up immediately

"But I feel the need to impress upon you the seriousness of what you have done, I will be writing both of your families and you will both receive detention"

That seemed to be the end of it, all left except for Veronica and Severus, the latter looked fit to punch a hole through a brick wall. Veronica glanced at him then did a double take. "Um, Ar…" she paused, "Are you alright sir?" she asked in almost a whisper. Severus didn't seem to hear her, only glared daggers at the doorway in a sinister silence. "S-sir?" she asked again but got no answer, only getting a cold knot of lead in the pit of her stomach

Veronica bit her lip and swallowed hard before reaching out lightly touching his arm. Instantly he turned sharply, a white hot flash of rage in his eyes, causing her to yank her hand away quickly, heart pounding in her throat, which suddenly felt like sand paper. "Uh, I think I should go now sir, very sorry to have taken up your time" she said quickly, making a dash for the still open door and running up the corridors as fast as her heeled feet would take her. Her mind only came down off its adrenaline high when she sped up a set of stairs and her ankle turned sharply under her, causing her to stumble onto her knees and hands. She stopped, taking deep breathes and she turned, sitting on the steps. After her breath steadied she looked around and squinted. Wait, this didn't look familiar, the Defense Classroom was on the ground floor why was she on a stair case? She stood, flitching as her ankle stung under her. _No matter_ she thought _I'll just get back down to the ground floor and find my way from there._

With a nodded she gathered herself and began to make back down the stairs but before she could get to the bottom She gasped as the Stair case started to swing another way. _Wait! Wait! No! Stop! Stop moving!_ She thought as the stairs continued to move against her wishes until they had swung a full 180 degrees. "UGH!" She groaned angrily and scrambled off the stairs and onto the more stable platform. She looked around, now even more lost than before.

Using every fiber of her being not to curse out loud, Veronica lean against the wall and took a long deep breath, tucking her chin into her chest and tapping the flat side of the note book onto her forehead. "Okay, alright, okay, deep breathes, deep breathes" she muttered, counting as she held the breathes in and then slowly let them out. She looked around, now calmer and realized that the stairs along the walls didn't move, only the ones in the middle, because the ones along the walls where attached.

"Perfect" she sighed and looked down. Looking around she bent down and unclasped the straps around her ankles and slipped the heels off. "I swear I do _NOT_ get paid enough for this!" She muttered under her breath and quickly moved down the stairs, occasionally slipping along the marble in her stocking feet but for the most part moving quickly until she reached the ground floor and then making it to the DADA class room in no time.

"Ah, _there_ you are! I was beginning to worry when I didn't see you at dinner." Lockhart greeted her from his desk when he spotted her walking in. Dinner, Veronica forgot she hadn't eaten since breakfast. "Sorry, Sir. I got preoccupied, I hope all went well at the Feast?" she asked and Lockhart grinned, "Ah yes, most wonderful, pity you couldn't be there, I'm sure you would have enjoyed it" He paused, "Come to think of it, Severus wasn't there either, did you happen to see him while you were out?"

Veronica paused, "No, not that I can recall." She lied and turned with a smile. "If you don't mind sir, I am terribly tired, I think I will turn in early tonight." Lockhart nodded offhandedly, "Yes yes, of course.I trust you had a nice enough evening?" it was really more of a statement then a question but Veronica nodded, "Splendid sir, good night"

Veronica left quickly, making her way down the narrow staircase, shoes and day book in hand. With a flick of her wand she lit the candles around the room and the fire. She wanted nothing more than to relax, she didn't care how she just needed to unwind for a little while. She sighed and changed out of her work clothes, step one complete. Suddenly she remembered something her Sister had given her last Christmas with a smile as she pulled her trunk out from under the bed and snapped the latched un locked.

She dug to the bottom and pulled out a long, narrow wooden box and a long card board tube. She set the box on the bed side table and pulled the cap off the long tube, which contained fifty sticks of incense. She shook out a stick and ran it under her nose, Honey Suckle, her favorite. It reminded her of her family's summer cabin out in the woods. She hadn't been there in years but she remembered it was a Birch Forest, with a little creek running down a hill to a large pond where her brothers and her uncles and her father would all go fishing for that night's dinner. Veronica smiled, recalling that by the end of every summer she was so sick of fish that she would never eat another bite.

She struck a match and lit the tip before quickly blowing it out, leaving a thick wisp of fragrant smoke to float off the smoldering tip. "Alright, step two, done" she nodded, "see, this isn't so bad. My employer is a ditz, my paycheck is meager and my coworkers might be insane, but this isn't so bad." She nodded. Thinking over what she just said she closed her eyes and cupped her hands over her mouth. "Oooh GOD" she shrieked quietly, "Okay, okay. You're fine, you know why? Because you can do this, you have been playing baby sitter for that idiot upstairs for years now, you can handle this no problem." She sat on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath.

"And I am Talking to my self" she sighed and popped her lips before hanging her head, "Perfect"

 **There you have it, Chapter 3. Thanks To Ash-Caro-Lynn for the review, follow and fav! It means a lot! Yea so Veronica is having some trouble adjusting to the school, but it's nothing she can't handle, never fear!**


	4. Class

**I'm back, Sorry I haven't ben updating as much but Between Summer School work and then an online sign language course I haven't had much time. But here we go! Hope you enjoy! I still own nothing other than Veronica.**

The next morning began as usual, Veronica was up at the crack of dawn, dressed and ready before everyone else as usual. With her long hair brushed, pinned, sprayed, tucked, twisted and tied into her usual tight bun, and dressed in a Navy blazer, matching pencil skirt with a misty grey blouse, and two silver cuff bracelets, one on each wrist.

After making sure Lockhart was up and ready she grabbed her day planner, her pencil and waited for him to go first so she could follow him to the grand hall, sense he knew the way and she, having skipped lunch and dinner yesterday, did not.

"Now sir, You acquired a letter from…" She looked back down at the note "Le magasin de Sir Thénardier du magiques livres et les albums, In Paris about a Book signing in honor of Magical Me reaching the top of the Charts in France, I told him you would get back to him as soon as you could but they need a fast answer since the grand re-opening is on the Tenth of October. ''

Lockhart, who wasn't truly listening simply hummed and Veronica rolled her eyes, "Sir with all due respect I think you should do it, after all it is the oldest Magical book store in France and such publicity could open even more doors for you" Lockhart turned with a chuckle. "Ronnie, Ronnie" he tutted, "You worry far too much for a pretty girl." Veronica's blood boiled, she hated it when he chided her for doing exactly what he was paying her to do.

He looked at her with a pondering expression, "You should really smile more, or you'll get frown lines" Veronica's line thinned into a straight line as he turned and sauntered down the halls, whistling merrily. Veronica opened her mouth, then closed it , then opened it again only to close it futilely with a sigh.

"I don't get paid enough for this crap" she muttered to herself in a seemingly empty hall.

"None of us do"

Veronica jumped about a foot in the air and her hand flew to her chest. "Oh my Giddy aunt!" She muttered, "Professor Snape, Sir. Good Morning" She turned and found the grim looking man walking briskly. "I trust you slept well?" Severus simply grunted. "You ran off quite suddenly last night I thought I might have frightened you." He stated plainly. Veronica shook her head, "No sir, of course not. I just…" She didn't finished and Severus cast her a look that said, _you're a horrible liar, you know that?_

"I just had a lot more work to do, that's all." She stated firmly. Severus nodded curtly, not buying it for a single second. "Well I would love to chat but I have to get back to Lockhart before he accidentally drowns himself in his coffee." She muttered the last part but Severus still picked up on it and one side of his lips quirked up for a split second.

"He does seem to be something of an Airhead, doesn't he?"

Veronica shook her head, "He's truly…Brilliant, most of the time. It's just sometimes he's a bit… ditzy." Severus gave her that look again and she sighed in defeat. "Okay, so he's a bit of a dolt. But what can I do? I…"

"Ronnie!"

Veronica softly growled through her teeth, _every Freaking time!_ She thought as she turned. "Coming Sir!" she called and turned back halfheartedly to Severus, "I have to go."

Veronica trotted after Lockhart, her heels clipping on the tile and echoing off the walls. "Don't dawdle Ronnie, we have a big day ahead of us."

"Yes sir."

Unfortunately for Veronica, Her chair was right between Lockhart's and Snape, talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place. Lockhart babbled on and on, not that Veronica hadn't tuned out as soon as he opened his mouth.

"You know I was thinking about what we spoke about a few days ago…"

"Yes sir?"

"I've decided you're right."

That got her attention, or at least her curiosity. Lockhart didn't often give her credit for her good ideas, so she wanted to know what exactly she was getting credit for. "You have been working for me for quite some time now, and it's time I give credit where credit is due…" Veronica straightened up, her eyes not wide. "Sir I…"

"Now, now let me finish" he hushed her. "You have proven yourself skilled in everything I have required of you and it's time I show you my appreciation." Veronica's heart was pounding, she was finally getting that raise she wanted, no deserved.

"I've decided to…Make you my Manager. You'd be in charge of everything, profits, publicity, everything. Of course it would mean a fair bit more work but think of the experience you will earn."

"And the raise sir?" she asked meekly, And Lockhart shrugged, "yes yes I looked into that but I'm afraid there's just no room in the budget."

Veronica's hope couldn't have deflated faster if he had stuck it with a pin. "Oh" she said flatly. "Look at you, speechless. I knew you would be." Veronica swallowed the lump in her throat. "If you don't mind sir I think I should get back to the class room." She said in a husky whisper. "Excuse me"

Severus watched her go slowly, "What a sweet girl" Lockhart noted and returned to his meal. It was obvious that Snape was the only one among them who had noticed Veronica's white-knuckle grip on her napkin.

 _(Later)_

And as promised, Veronica did act at Lockhart's assistant teacher…Sort of

From the point of view of the student's the roles seemed switched, because as usual Veronica did nine tenths of the work. It got to the point that when a Student asked a question, it was aimed at Veronica who would eye Lockhart briefly before answering.

"I must say this teaching thing is much easier than I expected" Lockhart noted during the passing period after the class with the fifth years. Veronica didn't say a word as she wiped down the black board and wrote the lesson with the small stick of white chalk.

"You've been very quiet today, Are you feeling well?" Veronica tensed every time he spoke and swallowed every foul thing she wanted to say, "Actually sir since this morning I've had the most awful headache" She explained out it came out a bit sharper than she had meant it to. "Hmm, well we have a free period after this one, maybe you should see Madame Pomfrey then." Veronica nodded, "Maybe"

Second years began to file into the room, and a group of girls scrambled for the front row, nearly rioting to get there until the "lucky" few managed to snag the first seats and the others slunk to the second and third rows. Meanwhile the boys seemed like they couldn't care less about Lockhart and simply scattered themselves about.

Lockhart was at the top of the staircase when he greeted the class. "Let me introduce you to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher..." He began and then smiled charmingly, " me!" in the sour mood she was in Veronica was less careful to cover her sickened expression behind her hand. "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class…" He began to walk down the stairs, sure to put on a show. "Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League," Veronica, who had heard this, over, and over, and over again discretely mimicked the words as he said them

"and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award," Veronica was glad to see a few students not caught up in Lockhart's act, however the majority of them were boys "but I don't talk about that." Lockhart waved his hand dismissively as Veronica resisted the urge to snort "I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at him" He flashed the class that five time award winning smile with a chuckle but no one else laughed with him.

Veronica broke the awkward silence by clearing her throat, and Lockhart remembered he wasn't alone. "Oh yes, and this is my assistant Madame Largo. She will be helping me throughout the course." He whipped out his wand and tensed up, "Now." He said seriously.

"be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind." He tapped a covered with his wand and it squealed loudly and rattled violently. "You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room." In truth Veronica didn't know what was in the cage, Lockhart insisted that this particular class be extra special "Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. I must ask you not to scream. It might... provoke them!"

He whipped off the cover spectacularly to reveal a large metal cage of tiny, purple humanoid beings. That laughed and babbled and zipped around their confined space with their tiny, bat like wings.

"Cornish Pixies?" Seamus Finnegan, a boy with a heavy Irish accent laughed with the rest of the class. "Freshly caught Cornish Pixies" this sent the class into fresh peels of laugher, but Veronica didn't laugh, because funny as it was, she knew that this wouldn't end well.

"Laugh if you will Mr. Finnegan but Pixies can be devilishly tricky little blighters." Lockhart grinned, "Let's see what you make of them." He quickly pulled the pin out of the lock and let loose the proverbial Pandora's Box. The Purple Pixies darted and swarmed around the room. Dive bombing students while Lockhart smiled cheerfully. "Go on, round them up, round them up they're only pixies." He urged them. Veronica ducked and yelped as dozens of them swarmed her like bees. She yanked her wand from her pocket. "Stupify" She stunned them in threes.

Things really got out of control when the Pixies ganged up on poor Neville Longbottom and lifted him in the air, only to deposit him on the chandelier where he hung by the back of his cloak.

"Sir! I must insist you Intervene!" Veronica yelled over the chaos. "right, uh" Lockhart pulled out his wand, "Peskipiski Pestinomi!" He chanted, only resulting in a pixie flying off with his wand. He grew pale and the Students began to dash out the door with various things shielding their heads. Veronica began to usher them out and make sure the imps didn't hurt any of them as they fled.

Once all the students left except Ron, Harry and Hermione, not to mention Neville who was still hanging above them Lockhart himself began to Flee. "I'll just asked you all to nip the rest of them back into their cage."

"Bloody Coward" Veronica muttered as she made for the other children, "Head down to the infirmary with the others. I'll handle this" she told them while avoiding two other pixies who had dived at her and were currently tugging at her hair. Hermione stood up quickly with her wand in the air, "Immobulous!" She cried and suddenly at the Pixies froze like tiny flying statues.

"Well done Miss. Granger. Now you three should head down to the Infirmary with the others."

"Hey!" They all looked up, "What about me?" Veronica gasped, "Oh my goodness. Uh. Mr Longbottom just relax I will get you down promptly." She straightened up and made for the front of the room. "LeviCorpus" she chanted and slowly Longbottom began to unhook from the fixture and float down to the ground.

"Come now, come now." She ushered them out quickly and down to the Infirmary. "What happened here?!" the Nurse Asked, looking them all over. "A slight Pixie Problem in the Defense class. I didn't know where else to send them."

Madame Pomfrey looked around, "Where's Professor Lockhart?" Veronica sighed through her teeth and closed her eyes, "He is indisposed at the moment." She turned to the class. "Alright, those of you bitten or otherwise seriously harmed, please stay with Madame Pomfrey, the rest of you follow me to the Library." She instructed them with surprising authority.

One Third of the Class stayed behind to be treated for the tiny teeth marks all over their arms, necks and faces. Pixies carry dozens of bacteria and the bites needed to be treated quickly before they got infected. Veronica settled the class in the empty Library and began a brief study hall until the bell to be release. After all the students left she made her way down to the Hospital wing where Madame Pomfrey was rubbing sticky, clear salve on the rest of the bite wounds.

"Pardon Me Ma'am, you wouldn't happen to have anything for Headaches would you?" The nurse stood and readjusted her paper hat. "Just a moment dear, cold seasons coming around and I have to give some poor hufflepuff some Pepper Up Potion."

Veronica wrinkled her nose, she remembered Pepper Up Potion, it worked almost instantaneously for colds but it was a fiery liquid that burnt your throat and made puffs of smoke blow out your ears for an hour afterwards. Her Father had always kept a bottle of the stuff on the top shelve above the ice box and Veronica and Her siblings prayed against colds and flues very fall and winter. They also never missed a day of school in their lives.

After dosing the poor first year with the medicine the Nurse returned, "A Headache huh, Chronic or random?" _I work for one every day_ Veronica wanted to say, "Chronic" she replied and The boney woman pulled up a wooden step stool and reached for a purple glass bottle of small white pills.

"Here we are" She grunted and closed the molding wooden door. "Take three of these as needed" She handed Veronica the bottle which fit comfortably in her palm. "Thank you ma'am" She popped the top off and poured three of the tablets in her palm before downing them in one gulp.

"I suppose I had better get back and clean up before those Pixies unfreeze." She sighed and thanked the old nurse before returning to the class room. It was easy to get them in the cage when they were frozen and took less than ten minutes. Then she began to repair the fallen Dragon Skeleton that had been hanging from the ceiling.

Lockhart emerged cautiously from his office, eyes darting this way and that on the lookout for any pixies, "They're all gone" she called from before, having heard the door open. The sound of wind whisking through the air cause them both to duck suddenly until Veronica noticed it was only a paper airplane. Like the ones used to carry messages at the Ministry.

Veronica plucked it from the air and unfolded up. She read it quickly and forced herself to keep the smile out of her voice. "Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office sir…Now" She informed the blonde who paled but nodded. "Yes, right. Thank you Ronnie." He sighed as he made for the door. _Someone's in trouble_ she sang in her childishly.

After He left she sat in one of the student Chairs for a little peace and quiet. "That didn't take long." She opened her eyes and looked up. Finding Professor Snape in the door way. "Good Afternoon Professor. Something I can Help you with?" she offered and He shook his head. "No, no I just wanted to see if the damage is as bad as it sounded in the gossip." Veronica smiled bitterly, "You heard?"

"I was sent to cover his class while he gets chewed out." Severus seemed almost smug about it. "I'm guessing you won't be needing my help than" she began to stand up. "Actually if you don't mind, I wouldn't object to you lending a hand. That way at least you can relay the progress to Lockhart and I don't have to be around him"

Veronica nodded, wishing she had that option. "The lesson plan is in the maroon folder on the able in the front" She informed him. Severus picked up the folder, read three lines into it and sneered. "Good Lord, this man is worse than I imagined. This lesson plan is inept at best. No, no, no, I think not." He shook his head. _I got passed over for this dunderheaded nitwit?_ He thought bitterly.

"Don't look at me, I just do the filing" Veronica propped her chin in her palm. "Well, I have an hour to make this lesson less clumsy, and… blatantly Narcissistic, _Gilderoy Lockhart, Magical Me Pop Quiz,_ please tell me that isn't what I think it is." Veronica smirked a little, "I'm afraid so, sir. "

Severus frowned deeply and began revising to make the lesson less of an embarrassment. "Well, I may have to improvise a few things, but After getting a general Idea of, I will go over a lesson on minor imps and fey creatures then assign a short writing assignment over the material." He determined and snapped the file shut.

"The students will arrive in Twenty minutes." Veronica glanced at the clock. "What exactly do you want me to do, sir?" she asked and Severus gave her a side-long glance, "Just stand there until I need you and try not to talk too much" Veronica nodded, "I can do that." She agreed.

 _ **So That Happened! So Lockhart to starting to grate on Veronica's nerve (Hey if you worked for that for three year I think you get a pass), but Her acquaintanceship with Severus is growing due to their mutual distain for Lockhart. But don't worry, Things will be looking up for her soon enough. I added the last part because I always wanted to imagine Snape's reaction to Lockhart's teaching. Don't forget R &R. **_

_**Ps: I apologize for any grammatical errors, it would seem that no matter how many times I read through it I always miss something. But I edit the best I can**_


	5. The M Word

**I'm back! I still own nothing but Veronica.**

A week later Qudditch season started up and it was all every boy in every year was talking about. The day was comfortably warm, and the pitch was sun drenched and Veronica was taking advantage of this fact by going for a walk right after classes let out. Lockhart didn't have the opportunity to unload a bunch of work on her before she was out the door and walking around the grassy Quidditch Pitch enjoying the warm late afternoon sun on her face.

As she walked by she passed the Slytherin Qudditch Team who were dressed in their emerald robes and carrying expensive looking brooms on their shoulders. "Afternoon boys." She nodded politely, "getting an early start in the season I see"

"Yes Ma'am, training our new seeker." The captain, Marcus Flint, told her and Veronica studied the boys, "Really, who?" A short, skinny Blonde boy with a pointed face and slicked back hair step forward, "Me, Ma'am. Draco Malfoy." Veronica thought, "Malfoy huh? Yes I knew your father, well Good Luck then" she nodded and sent them back off.

Yes, she knew Lucius Malfoy before she was fired from the Ministry, decent enough man, a bit haughty but Veronica suspected coming from one of the most power and wealthy magic families in the empire played a bit of a role in that.

Returning on her way she then passed the Gryffindor team, also dressed in their robes on the way to the pitch. _Oh dear_ Veronica thought, she had only been there a week but she knew about the rivalry between the houses and knew that this couldn't end well. She waited for them to pass and followed them at a distance.

The two teams meet in a tense standoff between the rival captains. "Where do you think you're going Flint?" Wood asked in his thick Irish drawl. "Quidditch Practice." Flint informed him smartly. "I booked the field of Gryffindor today." Wood challenged and Flint shook his head, "Easy Wood, I have a note"

Veronica stayed within earshot of the group as Wood unrolled a piece of parchment. "I, Professor Severus Snape, do hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practice today, owing to the need to train their new Seeker." Wood sighed and rolled the note back up "You've got a new Seeker. Who?"

The Blonde stepped forward and Potter did as well "Malfoy?"

"That's right" The blonde sneered, "and that's not all that's new this year" He flashed his new broom to the rival team whose own brooms looked subpar in comparison. "Blimey" Weasley, the red headed boy from Snape's Office, "Those are Nimbus 2001s"

"A gift from Draco's Father" Flint smirked and Draco held him head up arrogantly, "You see Weasley, unlike some my father can afford _the best_ " A girl about Draco's age stepped up, "A least no one of the Gryffindor team had to _buy_ their way in. They got in a _pure talent_."

 _Oh I like her_ , Veronica thought as Draco stepped up to her with a scowl, "No one asked your opinion, you filthy little MudBlood" Veronica's jaw dropped, did he just say what she thought he just said?!

"Mr. Malfoy!" She wasted no time storming up to the group. She must have looked truly angry because a few students actually backed up while Malfoy looked like a deer in the headlights. "Young Man never would I have expected such language from a student." She scolded him. "But Ma'am I…"

"No Buts" she cut him off, "Come with me…" Technically Veronica didn't have the authority to dole out punishments, however she knew who did. She led the blond down to the dungeon Classroom and knocked on the door. "Enter"

Veronica pushed the door open and Severus looked up, "Madam Largo, and Mr. Malfoy…." Severus caught a glance at Veronica's face and set his quill down slowly, "Problem?"

"I'm afraid so Professor, you see I was passing by the quidditch pitch when I heard Mr. Malfoy call Hermione Granger…." She cut off, she couldn't say that. It went against all she stood for.

"Yes?" Veronica swallowed hard and crooked her finger slightly as she approached him, "He called her a…. _mudblood"_ Severus tensed up and his lips thinned into a straight line. "I see" He said stiffly. "Madam Largo, I wonder if I might have a word with Mr. Malfoy… _alone"_

Veronica nodded slowly and left the room, staying by the door at the ready. She couldn't hear anything through the thick door but soon the door opened again and Veronica jumped back. Veronica re-entered, and Malfoy looked fit to kill and slightly terrified.

"Right, Mr. Malfoy you will report to my office every night at five o'clock on the dot for detention for the next week and ten points will be deducted from Slytherin." Draco scuttled out of the classroom and Veronica closed the door behind him.

"Where would he have even heard a word like that?" She said and Severus shook his head, "His father most likely, know Lucius Malfoy he probably says it twice a day in front of him." Veronica shook her head, she remembered the first time someone had said the word in front of her, It was from her drunken Uncle, she had been nine years old and her father had clapped his hands over her ears while her 90 year old great great grandmother nearly had a heart attack.

"It's not that surprising, I just expected that Mr. Malfoy would at least teach his son some digression." Severus grumbled and sat at his desk, "I suppose I'll have to write His father a letter, not that he'll probably care." Veronica thought, "If you're very busy I could write the letter sir." She suggested and Severus shook his head, "Assistant teachers don't hold much authority, it would be better if it came from a proper professor." Veronica shrugged, "I could do it under Lockhart's name. I mean I copy his penmanship all the time for official letters and fan mail."

Severus paused, "You can do that?"

Veronica nodded, "His script doesn't stray far from that of a school girl so it's not that hard to mimic, plus I was a firsthand witness to the Event." Severus nodded, "Yes, yes you're right." He opened his grade book before glancing up at her. "You know… you are much more astute than you appear Miss Largo." Veronica smiled genuinely and nodded, "Thank you sir" she paused _I think?_ She mentally added as she exited the dungeon classroom and returned to the Defense class room where she found Lockhart snoozing lightly at his desk.

"Sir?" she walked up to the desk and knocked on the wood top, causing him to jump up quickly. "Whohuhmahuh?" Lockhart babbled and Veronica laughed lightheartedly, "Sir, it's almost five." She informed him and Lockhart looked blearily at the wall clock, "So it is." He nodded, "By the way Ronnie, I'll be giving you the night off after supper, Mr. Potter will be helping me answer my fan mail in your stead."

Veronica looked up in surprise, "Oh, right then sir." She nodded. No work? Veronica thought, what will I do if I'm not working? She pondered the question, she supposed she could visit the school Library. She hadn't the time to see it all yet.

"Mr. Potter should be here soon actually, why don't you head off to supper and I'll see you tonight." Lockhart flashed her a charming smile and Veronica for once genuinely smiled back, "Actually I have a letter to write, but Thank you sir." She retreated to her residence and with a careful hand wrote the Malfoys a letter informing them of their son's deed, being sure to remain as professional as possible and enclosed the note in an Official Hogwarts envelope, which were technically supposed to be kept in Lockhart's Office, but let's be realistic.

By the time she was done, Mr. Potter had arrived in the classroom. "Good Evening sir." She addressed Lockhart as she prepared to take the letter to the Owlery. "Yes, Good evening Madam Largo." Lockhart kept to her professional title, which she thanked God for since she didn't think she could handle a student knowing that Lockhart had bequeathed the ever irritating nickname Ronnie on her.

Veronica made for the Owlery quickly and used one of the school birds to send the note. To this day, Veronica still didn't know how an Owl could possibly know the Address of Wizards but oh well.

Veronica still wasn't hungry so she decided to head to the library until a small pop sounded behind her, she turned and found a small house elf with large droopy ears and big green tennis ball eyes standing behind her, "Madam Largo?" It squeaked and Veronica nodded, "The Headmaster wished to see you in his Office Missus." The Elf informed her and Veronica nodded, wondering why on earth the Headmaster would want to see her.

"Thank you…." She trailed off, "I'm sorry, I don't know your name." The elf shivered, "Merry, Missus." It squeaked and Veronica nodded, "Right Thank you Merry, I will see his right away" Veronica headed off to the Headmaster's office quickly, saying the pass word in front of the Gargoyle (this time it was Orange Twist) and climbing up the stairs.

"Come in." a voice said before she could even knock on the door and Veronica entered swiftly, "You wanted to see me Sir?" she asked and Dumbledore looked over at her, "Yes My dear, I was wondering it you would accompany me down to the Great Hall for a moment?" Veronica shrugged, slightly confused, "Of course sir, whatever for?"

"simple, I want to make sure that you actually attend dinner tonight." Veronica was surprised, "Why sir, Thank you but I…"

"Now Miss Largo, you don't need to explain yourself to me. But when a person works in a school for a full eight days and only comes to supper three times, one does worry." Veronica sputtered, "Oh that, I've just been so busy Sir you see I…"

"I understand completely Miss Largo, but remember your duties aren't the only things that need taken care of. If you burn the Candle at both Ends eventually you will run out of Wax." He said wisely and Veronica nodded, considerate of what he was saying just unclear on how it applied to _her_

She hadn't been working too hard, sure she had been working longer hours since Lockhart had "promoted" her but she could handle it without problem. She slept, she ate, she payed taxes, isn't that what her father used to tell her were the only three things a person needed to do in life, a Joke which after the tenth time wore thin in its comedic appeal.

"Come" Dumbledore motioned to the door, "won't you humor an old man?" Veronica smiled slightly, "Thank you sir" she nodded and made for the door, politely holding the door open for him as they exited the Office.


	6. The Writing on the Wall

**Back! I still own nothing! Enjoy!**  
"Well, well, well" McGonagall greeted Veronica as she arrived, "We were starting to think Lockhart was holding you hostage."  
Veronica smiled sheepishly as she took her seat between where Severus sat and where Lockhart would have sat had he shown up. "my apologies but my work took precedent, I still have much to do but…"  
"But I reminded Ms. Largo that she is in fact not a machine and still deserves a decent meal every once in a while" Dumbledore finished the sentence for her and cast her a knowing wink as he tipped his goblet to take a sip. "Oh" Veronica turned in her chair slightly, "Professor Snape sir, I mailed that letter for you. It should arrive in the morning" Severus nodded, "yes, Thank you Ms. Largo." He said off handedly and looked pointedly at her empty goblet, "Wine?"  
"No thank you, I don't drink."  
"Nor do I, but I figured that if anyone at this table deserves a drink it would be you"  
Minerva cast him a scolding looked, "Now Severus, Lockhart may be a bit…Flagrant. But he is still our coworker and we should still grant him enough respect not to gossip behind his back." Severus shrugged, "who's gossiping? I was simply implying that Veronica might be a bit run down due to all the favors she's been doing around the castle."  
Veronica smiled a little and shrugged, "I really don't mind sir, I enjoy helping people." Severus scoffed and Veronica raised one eyebrow. "Something funny, sir?" Severus shook his head, "No, of course not. I just find running around and needlessly aiding people with meaningless tasks on top of your own work and achieving any form of pleasure from those acts, hard to believe" Veronica chewed on the inside of her cheek and raised her eyes brows.  
"Well, I suppose it's not so much the helping I enjoy as much as it is making people happy." Veronica explained and poured a small amount of pumpkin juice into her glass. "Yes, I think that makes more sense. I enjoy making people happy." She shrugged light heartedly with a tiny smile and took a sip of her pumpkin juice. Meanwhile, Severus Snape the eternal Cynic tried to see the situation from the young woman's point of view and could only imagine an existence full of unneeded frustrations.  
"Each to one's own I suppose" he muttered  
Veronica nodded and finished her small meal quickly, "well, I hate to come and go so quickly. But Lockhart gave me my first night off in two years and I intend to make the most of it so if you will excuse me" she stood and nodded to each before exiting before Dumbledore could protest and insist she stay and socialize.  
The halls were entirely empty and more importantly, completely silent. She took a deep breath and just enjoyed the quiet. No Students, No Work, No Lockhart, just the sweet sweet rapture that was silence. Not making any noise herself, Veronica smiled and made her way down the hall, relishing the stillness of the autumn air and turning down a corridor when she heard what sounded like something sliding across the floor, only it sounded muffled like when you eaves drop on someone's conversation through a door.  
She stopped and looked around, mostly on the floor before shrugging and going back on her way until the noise came again, soundly like it was coming from the right side of her. She frowned and walked over to the solid stone wall and pressed her hand to it. It was freezing cold and sturdy as ever but the low rubbing noise was barely audible, only able to be heard by A) Animals, or B) Someone with keen hearing in an utterly silent hallway.  
She looked around and made sure no one was coming before hesitantly pressing her ear to the wall and closing her eyes. Sure enough a few seconds later a dull, dragging sound hissed behind the stone lightly, barely loud enough to be heard. Pushing away from the wall she pouted thoughtfully and shrugged, it was an old castle after all, and old castles always made noise. Back on her way she arrived to the Library and entered through the large door.  
It was completely empty still and that gave her even more alone time. She wondered the narrow aisles and ran her fingers over the spines of the books. The air was musky and thick with the welcoming smell that was common in all Libraries. She pulled a small, pale blue book with a hand stitched leather cover.  
She flipped it open to a random page and underline the first line with her nail.

"Ecce gratum et optatum  
Ver reducit gaudia.  
purpuratum floret pratum.  
Sol serenat omnia.  
iamiam cedant tristia! Aestas redit, nunc recedit  
Hiemis saevitia."

She read fluently with perfect pronunciation, seven years of Catholic School kicking back in. "See welcome and longed-for Spring brings back joys. Purple flowers the field. The sun clears everything. Now let sadnesses recede. Summer returns and retreats the savagery of winter" She translated and sighed flipped to the front blank cover. She didn't need to read a cover to know the poem, it was Song of Spring from Carmina Burana, a book of poems from the 11th and 12th centuries.

"I wonder" she flipped the paged until she found the poem she was looking for. "O Fortuna velut luna statu variabilis, semper crescis aut decrescis; vita detestabilis nunc obdurat et tunc curat ludo mentis aciem, egestatem, potestatem dissolvit ut glaciem" she grinned and scanned her mind for the translation. "O Fortune, like the moon you are changeable, ever waxing and waning; hateful life first oppresses and then soothes as fancy takes it; poverty and power it melts them like ice"  
"You found The Carmina Burana I see" An voice said behind her. Veronica turned and found the Librarian, a stern faced Irma Pince was pushing a cart of books down the aisle. "Oh," Veronica looked down at the book, "Yes, I did. I didn't mean to disturb you" she said apologetically and the woman shook her head. "Lord No, child don't worry. What are books for but to be read?"  
She picked up a book and tapped with her wand, sending it up, up, up the towering shelves. "You enjoy books dear?" she asked and Veronica hopped on the counter nodded. "Oh yes, always have." Irma stopped and looked at her over her spectacles, "I must ask, what do you enjoy about books?" Veronica shrugged. "I don't know how to describe it." She clasped the book to her chest. Irma smiled and looked at her, "try" Veronica hopped off the counter and rubbed the toe of her shoe on the carpet.  
"I guess because…Books love everyone." She shrugged and "Books love anyone that open them, they give you security and friendship and don't ask for anything in return." She smiled dreamily and ran her fingers over the paged, "they never go away, never. Not even when you treat them badly."  
Irma watched the girl, leaning on her cart with a smile. "That's beautiful," she marveled, "have you ever considered writing?" she asked and Veronica shrugged. "Oh, I was going to when I graduated but after a while, I had to face the harsh reality that I can't live off dreams and minimum wage." She sighed and looked around, "Now where did I find this book?" she muttered and Irma shrugged, "Why don't you hold on to it for a few days."  
Veronica opened her mouth, "really?"  
"Sure, It's not often I meet someone who shares my affinity for literature." Veronica grinned, "thank you ma'am. I promise to retune it as soon as I finish it I swear" Irma nodded, "Alright, well they students should be coming either here or the common rooms so…" Veronica sighed. "Thank you again!" Veronica practically bounced on her heels as she exited the Library.  
She got a few leagues down the hall before she was confronted with a huge crowd of students. "What the…?" she gently pushed past the students, "excuse me, pardon me, sorry" she pushed her way to the front and ducked up the arm of a seventh year and popped up beside Severus. "What's going on?" she whispered. "Look at the wall" he muttered quietly and Veronica looked up and clapped a hand to her mouth.  
"Oh my God" she gasped and looked away instantly, stomach churning and trying to force the sight of the cat hanging upside next to a bloody message on the wall.  
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED  
ENEMIES OF THE HEIR BEWARE  
"Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately." Dumbledore ordered and Prefects began to lead their house away. "Everyone except…" he pointed at the three Gryffindors before him. "You three." Once the hall was clear Flitch stared heart broken at the cat until Dumbledore spoke up. "she's not dead Argus." Veronica looked at his skeptically, she looked awful dead to her.  
"She has been Petrified."  
" Ah, thought so." Lockhart put in his two cents "So unlucky I wasn't there. I know exactly the counter curse that could have spared her." Despite the situation Veronica openly rolled her eyes, "But how she has been petrified, I cannot say." Dumbledore brushed him off and Mr. Filtch pointed at Harry "Ask him, it's him who's done it, you saw what he wrote on the wall."  
"It's not true sir!" Harry Protested, "I swear I never touched Mrs. Norris." Filtch scoffed, "Rubbish"  
"If I might, Headmaster?" Severus stepped in "Perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time." Veronica looked at him incredulously, She didn't know Severus all that well. But she did know that he was the most cynical person she had ever met. "However, the circumstances are suspicious. I, for one, don't recall seeing Potter at dinner." Veronica had to restrain herself from say Ah, there it is.

"I'm afraid that's my doing, Severus." Lockhart piped in again "You see, Harry was helping me answer my fan mail." That poor poor child Veronica thought. "That's why Ron and I went looking for him, Professor. We'd just found him when he said... " Hermione granger start but trailed off like one did when they had said too much.  
"Yes, Miss Granger?" Severus said expectantly  
"When I said I wasn't hungry." Harry popped in "We were heading back to the common room when we found Mrs. Norris." Veronica looked at the other teachers and Dumbledore shrugged, "Innocent until Proven guilty Severus." Snape clenched his jaw hard.  
"My Cat, has been Petrified." Filch trembled, " I want to see some punishment!"  
Dumbledore shook his head. "We will be able to cure her, Argus. As I understand it, Madame Sprout has a very healthy growth of Mandrakes." He turned to the swat little professor who nodded. "When matured, a potion will be made which will revive Mrs. Norris. And in the meantime, I strongly recommend caution..." He eyed the three students "to all."  
Three students were sent on their way and the teachers made for their offices meanwhile Veronica eyed the old groundskeeper who seems nothing short of distraught. "Mr. Filch, would you like to join me for a cup of tea?" she offered slowly, "It might make you feel better" Mr. Filch looked at her with surprise and Veronica worried she might have crossed some sort of line.  
Filch just nodded and Veronica smiled comfortingly and led him to the teacher's lounge trying her best to comfort him. Lockhart turned from the wall to call Veroncia to follow him but only saw her back as she walked away and his face fell a little.  
"Jealous are we, Gildaroy?" Severus asked almost snidely as Lockhart watched her. "Jealous? No of course not, no. Why Ronnie deserved a life outside of her work." He sputtered, trying to come to terms with the fact that he was no longer to the center of his assistant's attention. Meanwhile Severus reviled in the fact that Veronica's nick name was Ronnie.

 **So theres There! Hope you enjoyed! By the way, look up the song O Fortuna on youtube and I'm sure 95% of you have heard it atleast once**


	7. The Legend

**I'm Back! I still own Nothing, BTW In the book Harry finds Mrs. Norris on Halloween, on the same day as Nick's Death Day party, but since we're combining movie and book here, we shall tweak the time line just a smidgen.**

Two pots of tea later it was nearly nine by the time Veronica had calmed Filtch down. It was pitch black when she started to head back to her classroom and she held out her wand in front of her to light her way. She was dreadfully tired despite it only being nine and she hoped that Lockhart wouldn't throw any last minute jobs her way the moment she set foot in the door.

Half way down the hall she couldn't help but get the eerie feeling something was behind her, the same feeling that just makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. She swallowed and turned to look behind her , seeing nothing she continued on her way the only sounds being her heeling on the tiles.

She felt the feeling again and she looked behind her and into the pitch blackness of the hall that seemed more like a tunnel than a hallway. She turned quickly and hastened her speed, clutching the small blue book in one arm and eyes flitting back and forth until she looked at the wrong place at the wrong time and stumbled to her knees.

"why is it every time I come across you, You've fallen down?" She heard that familiar deep voice behind her and felt her shoulder relax from sheer relief, "I guess I'm just clumsy like that." She straightened up and sighed before turning to face the raven haired professor. "I take it Mr. Filtch kept you busy." Veronica scoffed lightly, "I haven't seen that much worry on a man's face since my uncle forgot my aunt's birthday"

"He is a tad neurotic, but you seemed to handle him quite well." Severus glanced at her, "However Lockhart seemed more than a little put out that you didn't prioritize him" Veronica grimaced, "Oh I hope he didn't take it too hard, I really meant no offence but Filtch just seemed to be so upset that…"

"I'm sure he's just fine _Ronnie"_ he used the name so casually the Veronica almost didn't notice it until she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Who told you?" She squeaked as her face turned several shades of red and her voice cracked, meanwhile Severus smirked slyly. " _They_ " Veronica bit her lip and covered up her humiliation, " _They_ talk a lot don't they?" she retorted

"They certainly do." Severus nodded, "They certainly do." He shrugged, "Tell me, is it normal protocol for an employer to give his employee a sobriquet?" Veronica sighed, "Not that I know of but I thought we had both figured out that Lockhart isn't exactly usual." She looked down and realized she dropped her book and knelt down to pick it up.

"Good book?"

She gave him a cheeky half smile, "a classic, fourteenth century to be precise." She ran her fingers over the worn blue leather cover. "Carmina Burana" She caught up with him and Severus noticed for the first time she walked next to him instead of slightly behind. "Pulchra tibi facies, oculorum acies. Capillorum series o quam clara species. Rosa rubicundior, lilio candidior. Omnibus formosior semper in te glorior"

Veronica turned to him in surprise, "you speak Latin?" Severus shook his head, "No one can _speak_ Latin Ms. Largo, it's a dead language, one may read it, write it, or recite it. But you can't really speak it." Veronica smirked, an uncommon look for her "Quid enim prodest si nullus potest verbis loqui?"

"Quorsum enim verba nullo alio cognoscet eam?" Severus replied. Veronica grinned, "So where'd you learn to speak Latin?" she asked and Severus shrugged, "I taught myself, and yourself?"

"Our Lady of Sorrows School for Girls, class of 73'" She caught Severus's gazed, "My mother's Catholic and she insisted that my siblings and I got proper Catholic educations, but only Heather and I were magic so we only stayed until we were ten." Severus paused, "Maybe it's just me, but I always thought that Magic and the Catholic Church were a bit… at odds?" Veronica nodded. "Yes they are" she deadpanned and changed the subject quickly.

"Professor, Might I ask you something?"

"Within reason."

"What is the Chamber of Secrets?" she inquired and Severus stopped short a moment. He paused and looked around a moment, "Not here" he said quickly not wanting any out of bed students to hear them. Veronica nodded and Severus led her down the corridor to an empty classroom used for storage and closed the door. "As you no doubt know, this castle is very very old. Early middle ages I believe." He began, "And when the castle was build the school was founded by four of the greatest witches and wizards of that time, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin. The four worked quite well together until Slytherin decided that only those children from magic families should learn magic."

"that's awful" Veronica cut in and Severus nodded but also shrugged slightly, "it was a dark time, Witches and Wizards were persecuted left and right, burnings, hangings, torture, I believe it had more to do with safety then anything, but that's not the point. The point is when the others did not agree with him, it is said that Slytherin created secret chamber somewhere under the school and in it resided a beast that would purge the school of those he considered unfit to practice magic when his one true heir returned to Hogwarts."

Veronica absorbed all of this and thought, "And the beast within?" she prodded and Severus sighed, "no one knows, but one can assume is would be something every close to Slytherin, maybe some sort of serpent. But." He stopped, "The Castle has been scourged hundreds of times looking or it but no evidence has arisen to support the existence of any Secret chamber."

The woman nodded, "well what do you think?" Severus smirked a little, "what I think? I think it's rubbish, I think some delinquent just pulled a cruel prank on the not so well liked groundskeeper. Nothing more." Lies, that's not what he thought in the slightest, but he wasn't going to tell her that.

"Who would do that?" she asked, aghast. "That's positively horrid." She thought, "And the writing on the wall? Do you really think it was blood?" Severus thought, he hadn't gotten that good a look at it but he had a pretty good idea. "No" he lied again.

Veronica nodded, "well, I hope you're right." She sighed, "I'd better get back to Lockhart's office before he self-destructs." Severus smiled a tiny bit, her sense of humor was strange because she was completely respectful in every other aspect of life. Everyone was Sir or Ma'am, and any slight that might pass through her lips was instantly apologized for before the person could even figure out if they should have been offend or not. She seemed almost afraid to accidentally insult someone no matter who it was and he couldn't tell if this was a good or bad thing.

Well ha had the rest of the year to figure it out.

She tucked her book under her arm and nodded at him politely before brushing past him lightly, only stopping when he halted her, "Ms. Largo?"

"Yes Sir?"

"You can call me Severus now, if you'd like." He informed her quietly. She turned around and looked at him in confusion, bewildered by his sudden change of mind. "Sir?" Severus stopped her, "please don't make me say it again."

Veronica smiled a little and nodded, "Very well si…I mean Severus"

 **Now I know that this is a tad short but I'm writing it between Quarterly Exams. The next chapter will be better I swear but Right now my life is more or less an unpredictable roller coaster ride right now**

 **BTW Translations, The first bit of latin was an other poem from the Carmina Burana**

 **from there in order it goes**

 **What use is it if no one is able to speak** **the words of it?**

 **Why do I say it with the words if no one else** **can know them?**


	8. The Quidditch Affair

_**So, I've decided to pick this story back up again, sorry for practically abandoning it. Once again, I own nothing Veronica, everything is J.K Rowling's property.**_

 __The crowd roared as a flash of emerald flew past the stands on flashy, black lacquered broomsticks. However Veronica, sitting in the staff stands, was bored beyond belief. She was only at the first Quidditch game of the year as a curtesy to the Headmaster, who invited her.

Since it was not a school day she varied her wardrobe a tad, ditching her suit robes and heels for a creamy colored blouse, a pair of professional, high waist black slacks, and a dark red London fog coat. Her hair however stayed twisted and pinned into a tight bun.

The seekers circled the pitched like vultures as the other players dipped and darted for the ball. Veronica was never one for sports, she found them dull, loud, and frankly rather silly. Qudditch however made her uneasy, too much of a chance for injury. Blowing a huff of air threw her lips she rested her pointed chin in her black, gloved hand and stared off at the horizon line, eyeing a flock of birds flying in a V formation.

She only looked up when the crowd gasped, staring out to see young Mr. Wood spiraling out of the air and crashing to the ground. "Oh My G…" she began to stand before Lockheart, who decided to sit right behind her, patted her shoulder. "There there I'm sure he's fine." He tutted absentmindedly and she shrugged his hand off and looked over the railing as Wood got up, shaking himself off as he made for the sidelines to tag his replacement in.

"God, this game makes me a nervous wreck." She fretted, sitting back down and pulling at the fabric of her gloves fussily. "Worry not Madame" a voice that seemed to double as a hum said coolly, "I'm sure none of the players will be seriously hurt." Veronica glanced over at the speaker, an older man with long platinum blond hair wearing a black cloak and hat. His face was familiar, pointed and pale with a touch of regality to it.

"At least not today anyway." He added and she bit her lip before pulling off her black gloves so she may wring her hands properly as George Weasley batted away the same Bludger that took down Wood. Only that didn't stop it as the ball made a U-turn and barreled through the air and back at Harry. "What the…" She peered over the edge to watch. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Bludger is following him."

That cued all that heard her to look out as well as Harry zigged and zagged to avoid the missile. "Is that Normal?" she inquired and The blond man shook his head slightly but then shrugged, "I'm sure he's quite alright." He brushed it off even though it was rather obvious the Bludger was purposely targeting the boy.

Up in the air again, Harry suddenly darted past the green dot that was Draco Malfoy, missing him by inches and zooming after something, a speck of gold that disappeared and reappeared in the sunlight. "Harry Potter has spotted the Golden Snitch!" the commentator announced as people began to cheer the two on in their battle.

They went into a dive and into the frame work of the stands, narrowly avoiding wooden beams and trailing after the golden ball.

Within a few minutes Draco spiraled out of the trench like a missile and landed next to his broom on his back. Veronica shot up and grabbed the railing. "Is he Alright?" she gasped as the blond man looked away from the sight with a slight glint of disappointment.

But Harry Carried on, fingers only inches away from the snitch when suddenly the bludger came thundering out of nowhere and into his outstretched arm. The boy cried out but steadied himself, and in a rather brilliant acrobatic move, snatched the snitch from the air with his good arm, only to lose control of his broom and tumble into the sand.

Everyone of on their feet at this point and now that the match was over people flooded out of the stand and onto the pitch, gathering around Harry. "I'll be right Back Ronnie" Lockheart made for the crowd and Veronica stood up, "Sir? What are you planning to do… Sir I really don't think" she ran after him in vain as he reached Harry's side.

"Not to worry Harry, I'll fix that arm of yours straight away." Harry stared at him in horror, "no! not you." Lockheart shook his head, "poor boy doesn't know what he's saying."

Veronica tried to persuade him again, "Professor, I really think that…" She went unheard as Lockheart pointed his wand at Harry's broken arm. "Brackiam Emmendo." Nothing happened until Harry's arm when limp and flaccid. A collective groan of disgust and horror rang throughout and Veronica covered her mouth with a gag.

"Ah yes, well heh. That can sometimes happen" Lockheart chuckled sheepishly, "but the point is…" he bend the formless appendage all the way back causing Veronica to turn her back for fear she might vomit "you can no longer feel any pain, and it's quite obvious the bones are no longer broken"

"Broken?" Hagrid sputtered, "There aren't any bone left!"

"Oh Good God, Let me through" Veronica finally had enough and pushed through the crowd. "Mr. Potter, come with me please" she helped him up on his good side and escorted him to the Hospital wing, impatiently shooing away eager bystanders.

Harry looked up at her in slightly concern as she performed what he has come to call "Angry Consonants" which he had seen Uncle Vernon do countless times when he was too angry to speak and could only form fragments of words mixed with curses that formed an angry incoherent babble under one's breath.

She left him in a bed surrounded by his fellow classmates as Madame Pomphrey came rushing in carrying a large, bottle with a skull shaped cork labeled "Skel-O-Grow"

"Out of my way, out of my way." She pushed past students. "He should have been brought straight to me Madame Largo, I can mend bones in a heart beat but growing them back!"

"I know Ma'am, I got him here as soon as I could but…" she cut herself off, not wanting to bad mouth Lockheart in front of the students. "You will be able to won't you?" Hermione asked in a concerned voice. "Of course I will, but it will be painful. Regrowing bones is a nasty business, you're in for a rough night Potter" She poured him a steaming beaker of green liquid and handed it to him.

Harry downed it but spat it out quickly. "Well what did you expect pumpkin juice?!" the nurse shook her head and poured another before sending them all out.

"Out all of you! This boy has thirty three bones to regrow!"


	9. The First Attack

**Still own nothing. And a Happy New Year to Everyone!**

Veronica refused to speak to Lockhart the rest of the day, and when she did it was only short phases. "Yes sir"

"No Sir"

"Good night"

During dinner she turned her chair so she wouldn't have to look at him and later in the evening, around ten at night, she left without a word to patrol the halls.

"Stupid, pompous, egotistical… just _had_ to be the hero didn't he? Just _had_ to steal the limelight. I swear to God if I wasn't…" She paused at the sound of movement. It was muffled, like listening through a thick towel, but none the less it was there, and it sounded a bit like sandpaper running across wood in one long, unending stroke.

She frowned, figuring it might be a student's cloak dragging across the tile floor. She lean against the wall, eager to get the jump on some delinquent out after hours, and slipped off her black heels before drawing her wand and rounding the corner, expecting to find some teenage couple snogging in the hall.

"Lumos." She uttered and illuminated the hall to find no one to her surprise she turned around in a circle before shrugging and putting back on her heels. "Darn" she muttered and leaned off the wall as she slipped one heel on then the next. As she set the foot back on the ground she nearly fell to the floor as a sound that resembled a scream mixed with a croak cut off short.

She ran down the hall, wand drawn, stumbling at first before regaining her balance. She turned a few corners rapidly before coming upon a sight that took her breath away. She caught herself on the wall and covered her mouth as she gazed upon a young boy with white blonde hair and Gryphindor robes, clutching a large camera in front of his face.

"Young man?" she composed herself hovered above him. "Are you quite alright?" she knelt down, "I say boy, you're not allowed out of the dormitory at this hours now come along." She grabbed his wrist and found it cold as ice and stiff as stone.

"What the…?" she frowned and grabbed his shoulder and shook it a bit before pressing two fingers into the hollow side of the boy's cold neck.

No Pulse.

Veronica felt the blood drain from her face and covered her mouth. "Oh my good Lord." She squeaked and backed up from what she assumed was a dead body. "Oh my God! Oh my God!" she backed up into the wall and swallowed hard, she couldn't freak out now. She must keep a calm head and not cause a scene.

She had to go get a professor or someone, but she could not leave the boy here for someone to stumble across. She looked around and pulled out her wand before standing up. "I really hope in can still do this." She fretted and closed her eyes and tried to find a happy memory, which was particularly difficult considering the circumstance.

She thought back, further back then she realized she could and found one. Very personal and Very strong. Something she hadn't thought of for years because not only did it bring her joy, but also pain. But it was as good as she could manage. "Expecto Patronum." She waved the wand over her head and from the tip of her wand shot a bolt of Silver magic that weaved through the darkness down the halls to the nearest person and with it the message to find her.

A few minutes later Argus Filtch was led down the halls by a silver Turtle Dove huffing and puffing away while carrying a swinging lantern, he was followed by Professor McGonagall who had been scolding out of bed first years when he came to get her to tell her there was something wrong.

They found Veronica standing over the boy, still spell bound and slightly hysterical. "Good Heavens!" Minerva held her heart. "Miss Largo what has happened?"

"I don't know." Veronica shook her head, "I just heard a yell and I ran to see what it was and I just found him like this." She explained hurriedly as the older woman felt the boy's hand before turning pale. "Argus, help Miss Largo carry this boy to the Hospital wing. I will go get Headmaster Dumbledore."

Veronica nodded and helped the old groundskeeper lift the boy and carry him gently to the hospital wing, where they met Madame Pomphrey. "What's happened?" she asked fretfully as they lay him in the bed. "I don't know," Veronica shook her head, small, white hands shaking and wringing themselves while her entire face looked as though someone had coated it in pure white flour.

The headmaster and Minerva stormed into the Hospital wing. "There's been another attack." Minerva explained to the nurse as they entered, Veronica gasped. The boy wasn't dead after all, he was petrified like Mrs. Norris had been.

But Snape said it was probably just cruel pranksters, who would do such a thing to a little boy?

Veronica remembered the camera. "Maybe he managed to get a picture of whoever attacked him." She urged and Dumbledore nodded before prying the camera gently from the boy's cold, frozen hands and clicking open the film compartment o the camera only for the reel of film to sizzle and smoke.

The adults shared a look and Minerva trembled, "what does it mean Albus?" she asked, as if afraid to know the answer. "It means, Minerva, our students at in danger." He turned the camera over. "Mr. Creevey is most fortunate, if not for this camera" he motioned to it, "he would surely be dead."

"What should I tell the staff?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "Tell them the truth. Tell them Hogwarts is no longer safe. Tell them it's as we feared. The Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again." Veronica covered her mouth. "We must alert the teachers quickly. Ms. Largo." Dumbledore turned to her, "You found him did you not?"

The young woman nodded, "yes sir I did." Dumbledore stroked his beard, "Very Good, meet me in my office, but first Go to Professor Lockhart and tell his what has happened then go down to the dungeons and alert professor Snape. Tell them both there will be a staff meeting proptly at midnight and all are required to attend."

Veronica paused a moment and the headmaster waved his hand, "Go girl, Go! Quickly" Veronica nodded and rushed out the door and down the hall quickly. She reached the Defense room quickly and stormed into Lockhart's quarters, not quite careing much for manners at this point. "Sir!" she shook his awake and he shot up with a babble. "What is it? What's wrong?" He finally asked after waking fully.

"Sir something dreadful has happened. A student has been attacked like Mrs. Norris was."

"Who?

"The cat!" Veronica clapped her hands as he pulled off his eye mask. "What time is it?" the man yawned and Veronica sighed, "Eleven thirty sir, Dumbledore has called a staff meeting promptly at midnight. Everyone must go."

"Midnight?! Preposterous." He chuckled and began to lay back down before Veronica growled and jerked back the covers. "Sir, Didn't you hear what I said, A student has been attacked, he's petrified in the hospital wing. You have to get dressed and go to the Staff room for an emergency meeting. _Please!"_

"Alright, alright I'm awake." Lockhart stood up and stretched, "But I haven't anytime to color code my outfit…"

 _"SIR!"_

"Alright!"

Veronica left him and made of the Dungeons. It was pitch black but she used her wand to guide her as she entered the potions room, surprised to find it lit she pushed open the door. "Professor Snape?" she called in and found the hawk like man sitting at his desk in the front of the room bent over papers, the scratching of his quill marking parchments methodically.

"Enter." He droned and she walked in fully, He didn't bother looking up until She paused to catch her breath. "Severus, something awful has happened." She finally said and he looked up, slowly putting his quill aside.

"There's been another attack, a student this time." She explained as He stood up and hurried across the room quickly. "Walk and talk" he ordered as they left the classroom and she struggled to keep up with his long strides in heels. "A Student this time, A Gryphindor boy named Creevey, Collin Creevey. I found him in the hallway just north of the Transfiguration room."

Severus stopped, "You found him?"

"Yes." She nodded, "Dumbledore wants to speak to me later but there is an emergency staff meeting in the Staff room exactly at midnight, everyone is required to attend. "

Severus nodded, "Very well, we'd better hurry then."


	10. The Midnight Meeting

The faculty gathered in the Headmaster's office in the dead of the night, most of them with robes thrown over night clothes but some of them, such as Severus and Veronica still fully dressed in work clothes.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Albus began gravely, "I have called you all here because the magnitude of this news cannot wait until morning" He leaned on his desk and sighed in a tired way.

"I regret to inform you all that for the first time in fifty years…The Chamber of Secrets has once again been opened."

An alarmed gasp filled room as friends turned to each other in disbelief and Veronica could feel Severus tense up beside her.

"Only a few minutes ago, a young boy was found petrified in the west corridor, clutching a destroyed camera. He has been transferred to the hospital wing until the Madrakes are fully matured and he can be cured, but until then we must take every precaution that this does not happen again."

"Will the school be closed headmaster?" Professor Flitwick asked and Dumbledore shook his head,

"No, at least not yet. For now we must all remain calm and keep a level head." He sucked in a breath, "Tomorrow morning we must all address the students, and institute new safety precautions. No one is to be alone."

Dumbledore laid out a set of new procedures for the teachers to set forth among the students, even teachers were to patrol the halls in pairs now just in case.

When they all left Veronica was asked to stay behind with the headmaster.

"Now, Veronica. I understand this must all come as a shock to you." He sat across from her at his high back seat, "but I need you to try and remember everything you saw and heard before finding the boy."

Veronica, now in a more stable state of mind nodded, swallowing on her dry throat. "Well, I did hear something. It sounded like something sliding across the floor." She wrung her hands, "I…I thought it was just a student out of bed, because I thought it sounded like a cloak or something being dragged on the tiles"

"Can you estimate how far away the noise was?"

"It sounded like it was just about the corner, so I followed it a moment but I didn't see anything. That's when I heard the scream…it sounded awful like he was terrified and all of a sudden he was being choked." The woman trembled to recall the ghastly sound and the headmaster nodded.

"How much time came between the sliding sound, and the scream?"

Veronica thought, "I don't know. A minute, maybe give or take a few seconds."

"How far away from you was Mr. Creevey when you heard the scream? Feet? Yards?"

"Uh, I couldn't tell it was a few hallways down but…" She swallowed and tried to imagine how many turns she had taken, "maybe little over a hundred yards, but I can't be sure."

"That's alright, we'll determine all the facts in the morning. Until then you must be exhausted, and it would be best for all to rest." Veronica nodded and stood.

"Thank you headmaster, good night." She said quietly and slipped out of the office and down the stair case before drawing her wand to walk back to the class room.

"You're still shaking."

Veronica just about screamed as she whipped around to face voice in the shadows.

Severus slipped out of the darkness and into the light of the glowing wand with a severe look on his face.

"Severus" She breathed, thankful it wasn't some monster come to claim her like that poor child.

"What are you doing down here?" she asked and he shrugged. "Waiting, we can't be too careful now"

"You said it was only a legend." She got right to the point, slightly accusatory.

"I said I _thought_ it was." He corrected her as she lowered her wand with a small quiver.

"I just didn't want you to be frightened, you seemed pretty shaken up by it all."

Veronica bit her lip and nodded, "well, I'm pretty shaken up now as well. What do we do now?"

"All we can, try to find the chamber and keep the students safe." Snape shrugged and motioned down the hall, "we had better start moving, we must stay in pairs remember?"

She nodded and they carefully strode down the halls at a healthy clip.

"So, eh…" Severus began but seemed to struggle to find the right words. "How…how are you uh…?

"Feeling?"

"Yes."

"Not great, but I'll get over it." Veronica sighed, "I think the shock's worn off by now." But she still had a deep frown etched across her face.

"That poor kid" she sighed.

Veronica adored children, especially young ones with large bright eyes and broad smiles.

They were so hopefully, so optimistic, they had their entire lives ahead of them.

"He'll be alright" Severus told her, trying not to sound dismissive. "Once the Mandrakes are mature enough the drought will put him right again."

"So if the castle has been searched hundreds of times, how will the Chamber be found this time?" She inquired and Snape didn't reply, which basically meant he hadn't any idea but he had a sinking feeling it wasn't going to be easy.

"I swear to God, if Lockhart tried to use this situation for personal gain I'll…I'll...I'll…"

"Stutter at him?"

Veronica growled and pouted, "I'll do something."

Severus didn't say anything but he eyed her skeptically, "you could always quit."

"I can't afford it. I only took the job to get myself back on my feet after I got laid off from the ministry of magic. It wasn't supposed to go on this long." Veronica confessed, "And I can't get a raise so I'm barely making it as it is."

Severus knew how she felt, before agreeing to work at the school he could recall slaving away in a tiny potions shop, living pay check to pay check, barely making ends meet and sometimes not even then, and going hungry most of the time.

"Well, what was your plan when you were going to school?"

"I was going to be a writer, but ended up evicted and living with my parents because I couldn't make rent…pathetic, I know" Veronica frowned sheepishly, too embarrassed to look at him. "But enough about my tragic back story."

Severus frowned, truthfully indignant that someone whom he had seen possess legitimate intelligence was working _under_ a blundering, babbling idiot like Gildaroy Lockhart when she clearly had more cleverness in her little finger than the bottle blonde dolt had in his entire body.

And to make the matter even more frustrating, it seemed to him that Veronica didn't _grasp_ how intelligent she was.

"Well if you'll pardon my saying so, I just think It's a little sick that you've been put completely in charge of managing Lockhart's career and you are still barely making ends meet," He said with sudden forcefulness, which took Veronica aback for a moment

"Not to mention that if anything he should be taking orders from _you,_ you obviously have the lion's share of the brains."

Veronica was stunned, no one had ever been so straight forward about it like that.

Several times it had been implied by publishers that they knew Veronica was the master behind the scenes, but even then Lockhart got all the credit.

Sure it bothered her a little, but it's not like she craved the lime light like he did, she had always told herself it was a better arrangement this way.

But maybe he was right, maybe she didn't give herself enough credit.

While she ran this through her head Severus instantly started kicking himself for letting all of that fall out of his mouth before he could bite it back. It wasn't his place to stick his nose into her life, what had he been _thinking_?

"Wow, uh." Veronica swallowed and blinked, at a loss for words.

"You…certainly have a way with words, Professor I don't…" she laughed awkwardly, "I don't know what say."

"I don't know why I said that." Severus picked up his pace a little, trying to put some distance between them. "I apologize if I…"

"You're right."

He paused, "What?"

"You're absolutely right." Veronica nodded in agreement. "In a perfect world, I wouldn't have to work under someone like Lockhart. But…" she shrugged.

"We both know that's not how it works sometimes. I know how smart I am Severus, I've told all my life. But in the real world intelligence won't get you that far unless you have the savvy to put it to use outside of academia, and unfortunately that's not something I ever learned to grasp"

She smiled ironically at him and shifted her eyes down the hallway.

"We had better keep moving."


	11. Halloween Hurt

Soon the havoc surrounding the attack settled down, but the whole school remained on edge until Halloween rolled around.

Veronica admired the glowing jack-o-lanterns suspended in the air in the Great Hall as she entered for breakfast and sat at the head table by Lockhart who babbled on and on about nonsense she didn't bother listening to.

Halfway through the meal she noticed that Snape hadn't made an appearance, not entirely surprising since she had noticed at he would on occasion skip a meal or two for the sake of silence and solitude.

Still she knew that hunger was known to put people in foul mood and thought to spare everyone of that misfortune and set aside a small cup of black coffee and an apple to take him swiftly.

Plus she noticed the man had been in very low spirits recently, but she knew well that their friendship was too green for her to inquire into it. Instead she would offer her help in other ways.

Although she wasn't supposed to slip off alone due to the situation, she moved quickly through the empty corridors, her small heels clicking rapidly down the stairs carefully and to the large classroom door.

She tapped her knuckled on the door respectfully. "Hello?" she called, but received no answer. Figuring he must either still be getting ready or off in some part of the castle she resolved to leave the food and drink on his desk for him to find later, with a simple heating charm to keep the coffee hot for him.

She opened the door and entered briskly, crossing the large, dimly lit class room to the large desk at the front.

Setting the cup and apple on the desk and she muttered a simple heating spell over the cup with a small smile.

"I didn't open the door for a reason."

She jerked slightly and turned around to find a figure lingering distantly in the shadows of the back of the classroom.

"Sorry…" she swallowed, "you weren't at breakfast, so I brought…"

"If I wanted food, I would have been at breakfast wouldn't I?" He cut her off with such a sharp tone she was stunned a moment, and for a second was involuntarily ashamed of what she had thought to be an act of kindness.

"I-I'm sorry, you…You seemed very low lately. I only wanted…"

"I don't see how my mood is any of your concern." He hissed and she felt her throat go dry, "Neither my mood nor my habits are any of your business, nor is it your place to enter a room when no one answers the door." He left the shadows but was still obscured by the dim lighting and Veronica could see a strange darkness in his face, anger mixed with something else.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered and slowly made her way down the stairs and across the room, her eyes not daring to leave him as if he were an animal waiting for her too look away so he could strike.

"I was only trying to help."

"I do not _need_ nor do I _want_ your help madam!" He spat at her and she flinched slightly, "Perhaps if you were not preoccupied _helping_ everyone you'd see that your assistance in not always _needed,_ nor is it _appreciated_."

He glowered at her like she was the most annoying insect on the planet that had been buzzing around his head.

"Perhaps you would also notice your complete disregard of recent protocol, coming down here completely _alone."_ He crossed his arms, a sudden antagonizing look in his eyes

"Tell me are you _compulsively_ forgetful? Or does stupidly putting yourself in possible danger just to be a good citizen make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?"

He said the last part with particular venom and Veronica crossed her arms over her black notebook like an embarrassed schoolgirl with her eyes to the ground, too afraid to stand down a bully.

"I think I had better go." She whispered and practically jumped for the door.

"Yes, I think you should."

Rushing out with a final glanced at him, Veronica closed the door firmly behind her and walked as fast as she could down the halls with long even strides.

What had she done?

She knew him to have a sharp tongue, and yes on occasion he would throw a sharp jibe her way but only as a jest.

And of course she knew the potions master was standoffish and savored his personal space, but she thought he might acknowledge her with silence or a nod if he saw she came bearing gifts.

This was something completely different, he had been cold, nasty, even down right mean.

Maybe she had read the situation wrong, maybe she _had_ overstepped her bounds.

Was she being too nice, to the point of annoying?

Was she trying to help too much? Coming across as an inconvenient meddler or bother that others were too polite to tell to buzz off?

She was hurt, there was no doubt about it. And not being a master of the poker face, her featured showed her distress and confusion clearly as she returned to the hall and sat at the head table, keeping her eyes on the tablecloth.

"Where did you run off to?" Lockhart asked and Veronica poured herself a second up of coffee, not bothering to add her usual milk and sugar to it.

"I needed to check something in the classroom." She lied, her voice soft but hard.

Even Lockhart, oblivious as he was to his assistant, could sense something was off about her. From the tenseness in her neck and shoulders to the dullness of her voice he could tell his usual perky little assistant wasn't her typical self today.

"I say, are you quite alright? You seem…."

"I'm fine" she cut him off softly but he pressed on.

"Are you sure, you're _extremely…_ "

"I said I'm fine!" She snapped harsher that she had meant to and covered her mouth with a small pale hand as a few staff members who had heard her bark leaned forwards or back in the hopes of witnessing the petite brunette with the soft, piano voice finally tear into the egotist.

"I apologize, sir." She swallowed hard and didn't meet his face. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

Lockhart was stunned and swallowed before laughing nervously, "heh, well uh…. You're just stressed that's all." He patted her shoulder awkwardly, "All this…new responsibility. It's taken a toll on you, too many late nights and the like."

The tenseness in her body didn't relax an inch and Lockhart, having never heard she so much as raise her voice let alone snap at someone like that, worried that she might go off again.

"Why…why don't you take a sick day?" he suggested, "just uh…a little time for yourself…to rest."

Veronica, too embarrassed to decline the offer nodded with a sigh.

"Whatever you think is best sir."

Lockhart grinned and nodded, "There's a smart girl."

Breakfast ended and Veronica sighed, she thought of walking the Quidditch pitch, but a storm raged outside, so she contented herself with the library which contained more books than she could read in twelve lifetimes.

Madame Pince nodded toward her as she entered and Veronica nodded back but didn't stop to converse before placing herself in the restricted section, off limits to students below year six, but she had free range of it as an assistant teacher.

She picked a single book at a time, sitting away from the few students studied quietly and lurked in the aisles, leaning on a counter or pacing as she read of forbidden arts and dark wizards.

The dark side of magic held a morbid fascination for the woman, who growing up in a Catholic home as well as a magic home, was forbidden of even bringing up the subject, or so much as lingering too long in the bookstore aisle that boasted such literature.

But that mysterious fear her parents would never explain to her only made the idea of reading such things more exciting.

It was illicit, unspeakable, and terrifyingly exhilarating.

Other girls got a rush from running around with the bad boy?

Well Veronica Largo got a rush off reading forbidden books in the shadows of the library.

No one paid her any mind as she spent hours perusing the shelves, fingering ancient spines and yellowed, tarnished pages.

Soon she almost forgot her unfortunate morning until the bell rang for the fifth time, signaling the changing of classes again and Veronica, having settled herself on the floor hidden behind a corner with her back flat against a shelf, her legs bent to provide the perfect reading shelf, heard the gate to the restricted section squeal open and shut.

She stood and dusted any dust off her skirt before keeping her eyes on her book firmly, maybe if she didn't make a sound of move too much they wouldn't notice her.

"Eh…Veronica?"

She tensed once more and bent herself over her book at the sound of the unmistakable voice.

"Good afternoon, Professor."

"Irma said you were back here."

"hm" Veronica hummed as if the fact was mildly interesting but not so much that it could pull her out of her book.

The raven haired man resisted the urge to shift from foot to foot awkwardly.

When she ran out of the classroom that morning Severus's first fear was that he had frightened her again, as he had the first time he almost snapped at her on the first day.

But much to his regret he discovered it was in fact much worse than that.

He first went looking for her in Lockhart's classroom and the blond had been all too eager to explain in an ungodly amount of detail how frustrated and restlessness she had been when she returned to the table, so much that for the first time she actually snapped at him out of nowhere.

After what felt like forever he finally managed to get her location out of the ninny and tracked her down to see just what the damage was.

Judging by her reaction to his voice and her hard, shell like body language, she was still angry.

"Look, I…just wanted to…"

"You don't have to apologize" She cut him off, "If I over stepped my bounds, I over stepped my bounds. I'm a big girl I can handle it." She turned the book page casually but there was a hard edge to her voice.

Severus nodded, "That's not what I mean, I shouldn't…"

"Look." She closed the book with a tart look on her face, and looked up at him. "I know not everyone wants to be my friend or wants my help, I'm not a fool" she crossed her arms like a wall in front of her. "If you considered my behavior unprofessional or if you just didn't want me around you only had to tell me and I would have left you alone."

She turned to the book shelf and replaced the book she had been reading.

"You didn't have to be such an ass about it though." She added softly and bitterly under her breath but he could still catch it and he covered guilty, almost embarrassed, smirk.

"I know." He said quickly but softly so they weren't over heard. "And I _am_ sorry, and I just need you to know that I…I didn't mean any of that"

She looked up at his with softer eyes, but they still scanned him for lies.

"I didn't, that was just…" He smiled a little with bitterness, "That was just me being an ass, like you said. You didn't do anything to deserve that, you were just trying to help."

Veronica stared at him a moment before determining that he was telling the truth. "Why?"

Snape swallowed, "Well eh, that's a long story. I don't have the time or will to get into it but…Let's just say I really _really_ hate Halloween."

He hoped she would buy his vague explanation and to his surprise she saw her face soften with a strange sort of understanding.

Like they were two soldiers meeting up after a war, both bearing scars from their battles.

Neither had to ask how the scars came to be, they knew enough to have plenty in common.

"Yeah…" she breathed in and nodded before looking away, staring at the aged spine of books. "I get it."

She stared at the wall of volumes and moment before smiling fondly a little and looking down.

"I can't stay mad at you." She rested her forehead on the shelf and turned slightly to look at him. "Who else would help me mock Lockhart?"

Severus smirked, and looked at all the books in the dimly lit aisle off limits to students under sixth year.

"You know, I really didn't peg _you_ as the type to be interested in this sort of dark subject matter" He retrieved the book she had been reading from the shelf and eyed the inside cover, suddenly raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Especially not _this"_ he eyed her, "should I be concerned?"

She took the book from him and shrugged, "Please, if I was capable of any of this do you think I'd be working for Lockhart?"

"No, I think Lockhart would be dead."

Veronica looked around and eyed him, "You're not going to believe his newest escapade."

Severus closed his eyes, already feeling his patience for the man running thin, and mentally prepared himself. "I'm sure I will."

"In light of recent circumstances, headmaster Dumbledore has permitted Lockhart to start a dueling club."

Snape paused

That actually….wasn't an _awful_ idea.

But when he expressed the sentiment Veronica gaped, "Just the _idea_ has me on edge, just the thought of those kids throwing hexes at each other, someone could get hurt."

"Not with proper supervision" He pointed out, "Besides they do it outside of classes anyway, why not make sure they're educated about it?"

"If they're already doing it outside of class do you really want to make them more _skilled?"_ Veronica stressed while picturing first years filling up the hospital wing with all sorts of injuries.

"You're neurotic"

"I'm _cautious_ " She picked another book to read, "Call me old fashioned but the thought of children dueling makes me anxious"

The man smirked a little at her unnecessary worry, "Even if Lockhart is a fool I'm sure you can handle watching them."

"Oh not _me."_ She laughed a little and to Severus it sounded almost mocking, "I told Lockhart I'm no good at dueling so he's decided to ask _you_ to assist."

Snape paled, as if it were possible for him to get paler.

"You are _serious?"_


	12. Dueling Club

**A big thanks to all those who have reviewed and read this, I'm so happy you like it! I'm starting classes again tomorrow and Might not be able to update regularly but I'll do what I can.**

 **(Also I know Self Promotion is a little tacky but I am working on a story that I'm really proud of called The Blood of the Covenant and the Water of the Womb, and I have seven chapters on the Wattpad account and two here an no readers yet so I'm hoping for someone who enjoys historical fiction to take a look at it, so yeah...Enjoy the chapter guys!)  
**

Sure enough three days later a large portion of the student body from first year to seventh year gathered in a large meeting room in which Lockhart held the first meeting of Dueling Club.

In all honestly it was Veronica who put the whole thing together, from meeting times that didn't overlap with quidditch practice or meals, to ensuring safety charms were scattered in every corner of the room to keep spells from going haywire or ricocheting.

Snape agreed to act as a dueling partner reluctantly, with the comfort of knowing that he could easily defeat Lockhart in any demonstration and pictured sending the dolt flying across the room with a well-placed spell.

"I still have a bad feeling about this." The women muttered as she watched the students file in.

However she was glad to see that a good portion of the attendance was young girls, even if they were only there to see Lockhart perhaps they would pick up a few things as well.

Once the mob had formed Lockhart took charge of the room and Veronica stepped down from the platform to watch at the bottom corner of the stage.

"Gather 'round, gather 'round! Can everybody see me?" He called and the room grew quiet and eager. "Can you all hear me? He looked around and nodded, "Lovely."

"In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves" Lockhart announced in his usual dramatic fashion.

"As I myself have done on countless occasions" He flashed a toothy smile at the crowd, especially at the girls "for full details, see my published works. Let me introduce my assistant…" He motioned to the end of the long stage.

"Professor Snape." The raven haired man trudged up the short steps with notable unwillingness as Lockhart went on.

"He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry" the blonde grinned broadly, "You'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear."

Veronica found herself wondering if they would have a defense teacher after this as Severus took down the man with ease, sending him flying back and to the ground in a momentary crumble.

Veronica covered her mouth, not to contain a gasp but to cover a laughing grin as the man pulled himself to his feet, now sputtering and struggling to recover what was left of his dignity.

Who knew that all she needed to not resent the man so much was to see him thrown across the room by a school teacher.

"An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape," He tried to laugh it off as if it was all part of his plan, "but if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious- ah- what you were about to do." He eyed the audience to see if they were buying the story

"And if I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy."

Veronica watched as a small smile flashed across the potions master's face and she spotted a roguish spark behind his eyes even this far from him.

"Perhaps it would be prudent to allow Madame Largo to participate in a demonstration" He suggested and Veronica's stomach dropped to her feet

"You being an expert duelist it might benefit the students to instead watch a fellow amateur, and learn from any mistakes she may make."

Lockhart's face brightened, "A wonderful idea Professor! Madame Largo if you could."

Veronica froze and stared at the hand he offered her, "Dueling isn't Gender exclusive after all you, and young ladies take note." He aimed the last part at a group of young girls who sighed and fawned at his smile, but also watched the woman with eagerness.

The woman sighed and slowly made her way up the stage and pulled out her wand.

She blushed as she felt the dozens of eyes gazing at her and swallowed

"On the count of three then." Lockhart stood to the side. "One. Two. Three"

"Langlock!"

Severus began to cast a minor offensive charm but didn't expect the woman to dive right into the duel and found his tongue suddenly glue to the roof of his mouth as the women smirked back at him.

Proud of rendering him Mute and unarmed, Veronica nodded at him with a small smile before sighing.

"No, that's not fair. Finite Incantartum"

Severus's tongue unglued itself from his teeth and he eyed her, with equal parts respect, surprise, and a little bit of indignation.

"Don't look so surprised, Professor Sir. I can't help that I render men speechless." Veronica jibed gently, prompting a titter of laughter from the crowd.

"If not with your lackluster dueling skills then certainly with your equally uninspired sense of humor." Snape shot back in a respectful tone and Veronica couldn't help but grin a little.

"On the contrary Sir, I've found my humor has left some…" She whipped her wand slightly and Snape almost yelped as the rug under him was suddenly jerked out from under him, making him stumble forward and catch himself only just.

"Head over heels"

"Deprimo"

Veronica didn't expect him to shoot back and soon found herself nearly blinded and stumbling back as a strong burst of wind shot forth and hit her full force until she landed hard on the wood stage, wincing as her hip connected with the solid surface.

"I think that's enough jokes, don't you?"

Before she could regain her balance he dealt the final blow, releasing a long length of rope from his wand that bound her instantly, wrapping itself up her legs and torso tightly until she was basically a cocoon of rope.

"Do you concede, madam?" he asked, stifling a chuckle as she struggled slightly on the ropes.

"It would seem I must professor." She sighed and a small nod.

Snape nodded and ended the jinx, allowing her to stand and graciously nod at him As Lockhart prompted the crowd to clap for them.

"Wonderful, just marvelous! Now let's have two volunteers. How about. Potter and…" he glanced at the far end of the stage. "Mr. Malfoy, you as well. Don't be shy boys."

Veronica gradually migrated over to Snape's side as the boy's prepared to duel.

"I don't know what's harder, your countenance or the stage." She muttered, rubbing her hip with a small pout.

"Consider it punishment for lying." He whispered and she glance up at him

"When did I lie?"

"You told Lockhart you weren't any good at dueling"

"I would hardly have called that good."

"Oh please, you and I both know you were holding back up there, I could see it in you." He called her out quietly. "Your posture and technique were perfection, your pronunciation and timing were professional, where did you study?"

"A private academy in the States, extracurricular was either potions club, Quidditch, or dueling. Considering I can't brew to save my soul I chose dueling"

Snape sneered, "is that the truth or are you understating yourself again?"

"No that's not a lie, I'm awful at potions." She assured him and watch as Draco Malfoy was flung through the air and landed on the edge of the stage with a pained look.

No one was truly concerned until Malfoy shot a cobra out the end of his wand causing everyone to gasp and Potter to freeze up. Severus rolled his eyes and strode up on stage.

"Don't move Potter, I'll get rid of it."

But soon even Snape stopped right in his tracks as Potter stepped forward and to the fear and surprise of all, began to speak to the serpent, not in English but in its only language.

Veronica stared, her blood suddenly going cold.

This child, this golden boy was a parselmouth. An ability so rare it was found two maybe three times a century.

And it seemed the snake was being directed toward a young hufflepuff boy by the side of the stage. It seemed the snake might strike at the boy's face until Snape broke from his stunned daze and disposed of the serpent quickly.

All stared at Harry in almost terror and the hufflepuff huffed in fury, "what are you playing at?"

Soon the teachers had everyone ushered out orderly and Lockhart, after noting what a success the meeting had been, sauntered off and leaving the duo behind.

Veronica made sure that all were gone from the room before eyeing Snape, who was sickly pale.

"Are you alright?" she asked and he swallowed, wetting his lips slowly.

"I'm fine" he muttered, brushing her off, "I just haven't been feeling well that's all. I have work to get back to." He rushed off quickly, hardly letting her bid him well before he was gone.


	13. Veronica's Scolding

Few the next few weeks the castle was filled with murmurs and Veronica, although just an uneasy as everyone else in the school, felt her heart go out to the raven haired Potter boy.

She understood what it was like to hear whispering all around you and to know that it was you they were muttering about.

It was a hot, embarrassed sensation that made you want to cover your head and hide under a rock. It made you feel like a freak, something to stare and point out but not make eye contact with.

And it was this familiar feeling that made the woman draw Potter away from the retreating crowd of students after one class period and assure him that, should the occasion arise, she would be more than willing to give an ear.

The boy had practically been isolated by his peers, except for a select few such as Weasley, Granger, and a few other Gryphindors.

Meanwhile Draco Malfoy took great sport in tossing jibes and not so subtle jokes Potter's way, which only made matters worse because, although juvenile, Draco Malfoy did have an impressive sense of wit.

One day Veronica decided that she had heard enough of Malfoy's rude yet clever remarks and held him back one class period until the others had left.

"Mr. Malfoy, I would like a word with you if you could stay behind a moment." She beckoned him to the front as the students filed into the hall.

"But I have to get to potions…" the blond began to protest but the woman shook her head, silencing him.

"It will only take a moment, Professor Snape will understand."

It was a free period so Lockhart was God knows where, and they would most likely not be walk in on.

"Mr. Malfoy, Why do you feel the need to antagonize Mr. Potter and his friends during class?" She inquired bluntly and Malfoy shrugged.

"It's funny." He reasoned, "It makes people laugh"

"So the only reason you pick on Mr. Potter and the others is because you find it funny?" Veronica questioned and Draco shifted uncomfortably. "Well…no."

"Then why?"

"Because…" Draco trailed off. "Because…"

"Because they're different?" the woman assisted him and Draco nodded, his face turning pink. "Doesn't sound like a very good reasons when said out loud…does it?" she prompted him and he shook his head slowly.

"No."

Veronica nodded. "Draco I have a job for you. For one week, I want you to try and find a way to be funny without mocking someone else. Do you understand?"

The blond thought and nodded, "I think so."

"Good, let me write you a pass and I'll let you get to class." Veronica scribbled a note on a piece on parchment and signed it with a broad, looping signature.

"Here, and remember what we talked about, one week." She reminded him and watched him flee the classroom and she sighed with, not entirely convinced her talk had made any difference.

The fall droned on in a constant hum of routine, classes, quidditch, meals, books, even her conversations with Severus grew almost repetitive because neither felt comfortable talking about themselves, and so no progress was made.

Veronica's work load however, steadily grew until she was almost overwhelmed and no longer got her regular amount of sleep, making her slightly moody from time to time.

Being Lockhart's manager instead of just his assistant was its own special brand of hellish torture.

An inconsistent pattern that ranged from going to bed at six and skipping supper because she was desperate for even a wink of sleep, to pulling an all-nighter and surviving on cup after cup of coffee combined with momentary micro naps between classes.

Her headaches grew more frequent and it was around the beginning of December that Madame Pomphrey, concerned with the amount of pain the woman complained of, approached the potions master for assistance, even though Veronica insisted that she was "just fine".

But the nurse wasn't the only one to notice a change, Minerva, Dumbledore, Severus, and even Lockhart had taken note and shown concern.

Severus however was the only who wasn't so much concerned as he was angry, in fact he was a little bit pissed off.

"How many cups of coffee have you been drinking recently?"

Severus felt her pulse, which although consistent, was a little too fast for his liking While Veronica sat on the edge of a desk on the dungeon, impatiently swinging her legs like a child.

"I don't know, maybe three…"

The man eyed her doubtfully and Veronica sighed, "okay, maybe…six, seven. At most." She added and He hummed disapprovingly. "How often do you sleep?"

"Regularly?"

"Yes, regularly."

"Well uh, recently I've been a little over scheduled. I mean it's no problem, it's nothing I can't handle."

The man frowned and stood up straight like a stern parent grilling a child who was avoiding the question.

"That's not an answer, that's an evasion. Now how much sleep do you get?"

"I don't know! Uh…maybe four or five hours…" she muttered and Severus's eyed widened slightly.

"A _night?"_

"Well uh, within the span of twenty four to forty hours, I guess you could say." Veronica fidgeted anxiously and Snape felt annoyance bubble inside him at the sheer irresponsibility of her actions.

Sure Severus had no room to judge.

If he started on a project, he was no stranger to pulling several all-nighters until he eventually collapsed in front of a cauldron or in the middle of writing down an experiment.

Hell when he first started working out the Wolfsbane Potion he stopped counting how many times he'd blackout out and awake hours or even days later, on the floor or slouched at a desk with enough cramped muscles to immobilize a dragon.

But that didn't mean that it was a smart thing to do or that he was going to stand by and let Veronica run herself ragged!

Still he took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.

"Okay, I'm going to say some things and you have to promise me not to get upset."

Veronica swallowed and slouched her shoulders. "Okay?"

"Alright." Severus nodded and put both hands on his desk before beginning. "Are you out of your sodding mind?"

Veronica leaned back and opened her mouth slightly. "Excuse me?"

"Do you have _any_ idea what you're doing to yourself?"

"I really don't think…"

"Obviously, if you _thought_ then surely you'd realize that you're best work is done when you are well rested and alert, not running on caffeine on auto pilot." Severus dove into his scolding with all a school teacher's fury.

But Veronica was stunned, unable to do anything but take her telling-off like a wayward student while trying to cut in.

"You're not a bloody machine Veronica…"

"I am aware of that…"

"Shut up and let me finish." Severus cut her off, genuinely agitated.

"Why are you so mad about this?" Veronica cut in, confused that he was reacting in such a way.

"Because you're too _smart_ to be pulling stunts like this!" Snape bellowed. "You have so much concern for other people but you're playing Russian roulette with your own health! I'd expect this sort of thing from a sixth or seventh year, or even a university student. That can be accepted if not condoned. But you…" He motioned to her, "this is just plain irresponsible, no two ways about it."

Veronica opened her mouth to argue but found no words in her defense.

He was right.

She knew he was right because despite how much time she spent awake, she got almost nothing done.

She couldn't concentrate, her brain couldn't process information. And what she did get done was often sub par and needed to be redone the next morning anyway.

As for being irresponsible it was in the extreme, because not only was she threatening her own health, she was single-handedly organizing a man's career with only a quarter of her usual potential.

"Well?"

"Well…" she sighed, "What do you propose I do?"

"I suggest you take what is left of your weekend." Severus began, "Develop a better time management schedule, and when you have…" He plucked a small glass vial out of a holder and handed it to her. "You're going to take this, and go to sleep."

"What is it?"

"A strong sleeping potion, guaranteed rest. Think of it as a sort of resent button"

Veronica eyed him and hesitantly took the vial. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because believe it or not I don't take joy in watching a person run themselves into the ground." Severus said bluntly. "Now shoo. Off you go"

Veronica paused a moment before hesitantly standing up and eyeing him carefully was she slowly walked out. "okay… uh…Thank you for this Severus. Honestly. Thanks."

Snape eyed her and watched an almost smug satisfaction wash over him. "You're welcome. Now go."

Veronica eyed the vial and smiled. "Thank you Severus."

Snape sighed and nodded. "You are _welcome._ Now go, I don't want to see your face for the next twenty four hours _"_

He waved his hand for her to shoo and smiled a little when she was out of sight around the corner before adding in a raised voice after her, "And for Christ's Sake you are a grown woman, I shouldn't have to berate you to get you to sleep!"

Veronica returned to her quarters and informed Lockhart that on strict orders she was to remain in bed until the next day.

Lockhart watched her disappear down the stairs to her quarters and let out a relieved sigh.

He had been waiting for Snape to snap and finally rake the girl over the coals after weeks of watching the man eye her critically with a touch of genuine concern when she would stop in the middle of conversations and simply blank out for a second or two before blinking and trying to remember what she had been saying.

He witnessed the carefully hidden disappointment when the potions masters arrived at the table for a meal only to find Veronica had skipped yet another breakfast or dinner in order to finish some paperwork or project or try and sleep for an hour or so.

And he most of all spied the almost involuntary flash of worry shadow Snape's drawn features when Veronica _did_ come to a meal and was obviously exhausted; with her hair not quite as neat as it usually was, dark circles shaded under her lashes with thin lines of red webbing her bloodshot eyes.

Yes, he knew sooner or later the man wouldn't be able to keep himself from calling her out on the unhealthy habits.

In fact the only reason Lockhart himself didn't keep Veronica from running herself into the ground was because he wanted nothing more than to see the stoic, cold, frigid dungeon bat cast aside his shield of utter apathy and show some true emotion.


	14. Bruised and Fragile

For the first time since she was ten years old and was bedridden with fever, Veronica slept for a grand total of 48 hours straight and awoke Monday morning at 5:30 am sharp, completely rested.

Never in her life had she felt so good.

She showered in a flash and only paused when she accidentally bumped her hip into the counter and let out a half yowl half hiss.

"What in the…oh." She eyed her bare legs in the full length mirror and found that there was an impressive bruise on her upper thigh and buttocks that had a splotchy purple and blue shade to it.

She tried to figure out where that might have come from and realized that she must had hit the stage harder than she thought she had during the dueling practice and bruised herself.

"Well done there, Largo." She muttered with a roll of her eyes and dressed herself in an elegant gray trouser suit with a white button up with white pumps.

Hair dried, combed, and neatly braided and pinned, she was ready to face the day.

She made for the class room and found it empty and dark, as usual for this early in the morning, but Veronica was just so energized that with a flick of her wand she illuminated the room with light.

She organized Lockhart's lesson plans into practical paper stacks and only then realized that she hadn't eaten anything in two days.

It was nearly six o'clock, so she decided to make for the great hall early and found it generally empty, outside of a few house elves who scurried to and fro cleaning tables before the breakfast rush.

"Madame Largo!" one of the tiny creatures spotted her, an elf named Posey who normally prepared the two coffees Veronica would pick up and take to Lockhart.

"The usual?"

"Just one this morning Posey." Veronica told her and the elf popped to the kitchen and was back with Lockhart's custom brew in a matter of seconds.

"You're the best." Veronica thanked her and made for Lockhart's office, woke him up with a less then gentle hand and set the coffee on his table.

"6:15, Sir." She informed him and snapped open the curtains of the large window by the bed. "I'll be in the great hall." She left the man dazed and confused with only the coffee to make sense of what just happened.

On her way out and back to the Great Hall, the woman met up with McGonagall and to her surprise, Severus. Both of whom looked extremely dismal and on edge.

"Good Morning." She chirped cheerfully and they both practically jump at the sound of her voice.

"Veronica," Minerva sighed, "How good to see you dear."

"Lovely morning isn't it?" Veronica went on with a broad smile.

"Yes…lovely." The woman said slowly and eyed the potions master who shifted uncomfortably.

The silence thickened and Veronica's smile slowly began to melt down like candle wax. "What's the matter?" she asked with a nervous titter. "You both look like you've seen a ghost."

"Veronica…something happened while you were asleep." Severus began reluctantly, his voice heavy with anxiety.

"What?" the woman's cheer had fled now, replaced with dread.

"My dear, there's been another attack. " Minerva reached forward and touched Veronica's shoulder lightly as the girl's hand flew to her mouth.

"Another student, Justin Finch-Fletchley from Hufflepuff house, was found in a hallway early last night. Along with the Gryphindor house Ghost, Sir Nicholas"

The last part confused Veronica, "a ghost has been petrified? Is that possible?"

"It would appear so."

Veronica felt herself go pale and her grip tightened on her black book. "What's being done about it?"

"All we can, but with no evidence to follow it isn't much." Minerva shook her head, "If one more attack occurs, we will be forced to consider closing the school."

Her former good mood shattered Veronica followed the two to the Great Hall for breakfast, but couldn't stop thinking of that poor kid in the hospital wing.

"Veronica."

She sat up and realized she had been blankly at the bit of toast on her plate for a good two minutes.

"Sorry" she muttered, "I…it's just mad. There must be a way to protect the students."

Severus breathed, agreeing but pragmatic, "all we can do is try to stay safe until the mandrakes mature."

"Madness" Veronica muttered all the same and sighed.

"On a lighter note, how are you feeling?" He quickly changed the subject, "I mean you've been mentally absent for forty eight hours…"

"Actually, a lot better than I have in a long time." She confessed with a sheepish smiled, "Thank you Severus, I owe you."

"You owe me nothing."

"I'm being serious." She shook her head, "If you hadn't set me straight I would have kept going until I collapsed. There has to be something I can do to help you."

"You could accept the fact that you don't owe me anything, that'd be grand."

Veronica scoffed and shook her head, sipping her pumpkin juice, "Stubborn."

"Proudly so." Severus agreed and picked up the copy of the daily prophet on the table. Veronica looked over his shoulder and winced with a pained groan.

"Problem?"

"Hollyhead Harpies lose 150 to 200."

"Okay?" Severus shrugged, not in the least interested in the score count, "sports fan are you?"

"No, but…" before she could finish a small blue envelope was dropped on the table in front of her by a tawny barn owl. "Damn." She cursed and picked up the envelope before pulling out a thin black leather wallet from her pockets.

The woman ripped open the envelope and eyed the hand written letter that was short, simple, and to the point.

 _I told you so. Pay up Icky._

 _-Heather_

Severus read over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow, "I have several questions."

"My older sister Heather, She bet me ten sickles the Harpies would lose." Veronica deposited the coins in the envelope and sent the owl off. "Please don't ask about that last part."

"Another nickname?"

"Yeah" Veronica said shortly, eager to get off the subject.

In truth, and she would deny it to her death, Veronica wasn't all that fond of her sister.

She was vain, short tempered, and on occasion she could be very cruel. But the sisters loved each other because, well…isn't that what you do with family?

Even if she was sometimes nasty for the fun of it, Heather was her sister and Veronica loved her.

Heather Largo was, admittedly, much prettier that her younger sister.

She was tall and slender with a flawless rosy completion. Her hair, which she inherited from her father's Italian side, was thick and fell in ebony waves to her shoulders. Her face was heart shaped and punctuated with two large, honey colored, doe eyes and a small button nose.

But to be fair her beauty wasn't easily earned. Her vanity kept her from the warm sunshine to avoid sun damage, and she had most likely never tasted a carb in her adult life to keep her trim figure.

But still, Veronica envied her from time to time, especially growing up.

But to counter, Veronica couldn't help but feel a little bit smug knowing that her sister would never catch up with her intellectually.

It was a petty consolation, she knew it.

But again, Veronica would never openly admit these things to anyone.

The woman sighed and shifted in her seat only to hiss audibly in surprise and pain, causing both Snape and Lockhart to glance at her.

"Alright there Ronnie?" Lockhart asked and Veronica smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, fine. Just bruised that's all."

"Bruised?"

"From the dueling demonstration?" Veronica offered, "Recall I was skillfully taken down by Severus here. I guess I just hit the stage hard than I thought I did." She laughed as she said it but apparently the humor didn't extend to the two of them.

Severus looked slightly guilty and considerably apologetic, while Lockhart looked concerned; as if the idea that Veronica could ever be physically injured had never occurred to him before this moment.

"Well…I mean, are you alright?" the blond asked with a tone of worry and Veronica actually laughed at him.

"What? I'm fine, it's just a bruise. People get bruises."

They didn't look convinced and she rolled her eyes, "Honestly you two, you're looking at me like I'm made of glass! It's not even that big!"

"Well…it's just." Severus began but cut off, realizing what he was about to say might be misconstrued.

"Just what?"

"I think what Severus is trying to say is that you're, well you're sort of…"

"I'm sort of what?" Veronica gaped and eyed them both while crossing her arms, "Come on, out with it then."

The two men shared a dreading look before silently agreeing for the first time ever.

"You're just sort of, and I don't mean this in a _bad way_ mind you but, you're a little _frail_ looking." Lockhart explained and Veronica's mouth hung agape.

" _Frail looking?"_

"And we don't mean it in a bad way! It's just that, well…you're small, kind of skinny, and well…you're sweet. You're a sweetheart Ronnie." Lockhart spelled it out and Veronica stared at him indignantly before turning to Severus who avoided her gaze and hid behind the newspaper.

"Severus?"

"Wha-yes?" He tried to seem like he hadn't been listening.

"Do you share that sentiment?"

"What sentiment?"

"Do you, Severus Snape, think that I'm weak looking?" she crossed her arms and let her dark eyes bore into him as he peered over the top of his paper.

"Well….I eh… I wouldn't say _weak_ per se. But um you do have…you do have a certain. I don't know, lightness about you?"

"Oh my _God"_

"Now Ronnie…"

"You two are unbelievable!"

"It's not like that…"

Veronica didn't wait to hear them out and left the table with both the men with their feet in their respective mouths.

"Bravo you two." Madame Pince, who had been sitting next to Lockhart and overheard the entire thing, wiped her mouth with her napkin daintily and stood up, pushing her chair back with a squeal.

"You should write a book, 'how to offend a woman in five seconds'"

She sighed and made after Veronica while the two professors individually tried to puzzle out where they went wrong.

Snape, of course, figured out his error much quicker than Lockhart and with a grunt stood and stalked out the Great Hall, his cloak fluttering behind him.

Meanwhile Irma had caught up with Veronica and the two met in the Library.

"God, men are pigs." Veronica growled and Irma shrugged.

"Well, I don't think they _meant_ for it to come out like that" she mused. "It's just their mouths move faster than their brains do."

Veronica put down the book she was reading and sighed. "I don't _really_ look frail, do I?"

"A little skinny maybe, but not frail." Irma pushed her large book cart and leaned on the metal handle. "Don't take it to heart dear, it's just the nature of the beast. They aren't blessed with the loquaciousness we are."

"I can't believe Severus _agreed_ with him!" Veronica continued, "I mean I figured him of all people…I mean."

"Well, Severus and I aren't exactly chums, but I do know enough to understand he's not exactly adept when it comes to interactions with attractive people of the opposite sex. I'm sure he doesn't think you weak, just skinny."

Veronica sighed and tilted her head back. "So one's inexperienced and one's a complete idiot. _Great."_


	15. Christmas

**Let's just pretend I haven't been on a horrendously long hiatus, mkay?**

Before the first class started Veronica accepted Lockhart's bumbling form of apology, even though it was clear he didn't know what he was apologizing for.

But since they were separated for most of the day, Severus didn't get his chance to explain his poor choice words until later in the diurnal.

But until that point, Veronica put on quite a passive aggressive display during the entire school day.

Everything that needed to be done was done with quick efficiency, and nothing stood in her path.

Not even Peeves, who at one point decided to make her job a lot harder by stealing her schedule book and flying to the ceiling with manic, shrill laughter.

No one had ever seen the fast moving poltergeist taken down so quickly, or fall like a stone 20 feet from the ground when Veronica whipped out her wand and stunned him midair with a triumphant smirk, payback for the way he welcomed her the first day.

It wasn't until Severus watched her enter the library crating an arm load of books stacked quite literally over her head that he understood how far she was taking this.

"Uh, do you need any…?"

"No."

"Are you sure, because…?"

"I've got it."

He watched her weaved back and forth as the books swayed haphazardly and she eyed the top with concern before nodding when it steadied and charging ahead as before.

"You know, if you're doing all of this just to prove a _point,_ you should know that…"

"I have no point to prove to anyone." She interjected insistently and the potions master shrugged, "whatever you say."

He watched her set the books on the counter and begin to dig into them one by one, reading each and every page with wide, curious eyes.

"Personal project?"

"I want to find more information of the chamber of secrets." She informed him smartly and he contained a snicker.

"Planning on taking down the creature by yourself then?"

She glanced at him over the edge of the book, the frown evident in her eyes. "You don't think I can?"

"I think you'd be very foolish to try alone."

"Why?" she closed the book indignantly, "don't you think I can handle myself?"

"Stand down." Severus stopped her, knowing _exactly_ where the conversation was leading. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I just meant that…" he paused, trying to avoid another misunderstanding. "Look, we both know what this is about so why don't we stop dancing around it and get to the point, I don't think you're fragile."

"You said you did."

"I said you _look_ fragile, I didn't say you are" he corrected her with the tone of a pure academic. "Many things in the world look fragile but are surprisingly resilient."

Veronica eyed him critically, "are you sure you're not just saying that to make me feel better?"

"Of course I'm saying it to make you feel better." He scoffed, "what other reason could I have? But that doesn't make it any less true, now does it?"

She laughed a little at his bluntness and nodded. "I suppose it doesn't."

Glad to have her forgiveness once more Snape nodded, satisfied. "What was that line again? When she's angry, she is keen and shrewd. She was a vixen when she went to school. And though she be but little, she is fierce."

Veronica genuinely laughed at that, her head ducking down slightly when Irma sent them a withering scowl and shushed them harshly. Veronica covered her mouth but it took a second for her shoulders to stop shaking with silent laughter.

"Speaking of angry and fierce." Severus changed the topic, "I have to ask, what is with your nails?"

"Huh?" Veronica held out her hand and examined the perfectly manicured fingernails for error. They were long and filed to five dull points on each hand and polished with a bold, fiery red paint. "What about them?

"What do you mean what about them? You could kill a man with those things." Severus scoffed at the uselessness of the fashion statement.

Veronica usually kept her nails short and trimmed for the sake of practicality but after one weekend, after a short business trip on Lockhart's behalf, she arrived back at the school with miniature daggers on each finger.

For weeks he had watched her struggled to pick up flat objects from tables and witnessed the short flash of panic when she hit her hand on something and examined her nails quickly as if for injury.

"They're acrylics Severus." She explained with a giggle and his face twisted into a bemused frown.

"They're terrifying, that's what they are. I keep thinking you're going to gouge your own eyes out."

"Now who's being neurotic?" She pointed out and teasingly wiggled her pointed fingers at him. "With the holidays coming up, I thought I ought to doll myself up a little bit before I have to set off for Italy for the family Christmas."

Severus's face fell a little bit and he couldn't cover it quickly enough for her not to see it.

"You're leaving?"

"Only for three days." She assured him, "it's sort of a family tradition"

He didn't know why but Snape felt a bit putout at the thought of his new found routine being shattered, even for three days.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh, oh. Nothing. Nothing's wrong." He quickly insisted in his usual dull tone. "I hope you have a nice time."

"Severus." She hummed and He shrugged. "Maybe I'm just a little miffed you're leaving me alone with Lockhart for Christmas."

"Oh, poor dear." Veronica joshed and pouted. "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."

So in the weeks that followed the Holidays rolled around and Veronica left the school with a small case of clothes and a stack of gifts for her family.

Leaving both Lockhart without his personal assistant/ babysitter, and leaving Snape to realize that despite her tendency to take things the wrong way, over work herself, and worry over every little thing, he had grown a little fond of the woman's company.

As much as he hated to admit it.

The point was driven home for him rather forcefully on Christmas day when he sat at the breakfast table and felt something whip past his head suddenly, dropping a medium sized, rectangular box on top of his newspaper.

"What the…" he eyed the box and the small note attached on top.

 _I know we've really only just met, but I saw it and thought of you. I couldn't help myself._

 _Merry Christmas, V.M.C.L_

Judging by the first and last initial he realize that Veronica had sent him something for Christmas, which sent forth conflicting emotions spirally like a tornado in his rib cage.

Before the gift could be spotted by anyone else Snape tucked it and the note into his robes and made off out of the Great Hall and down to the dungeons, thoughts ricocheting in his skull every moment.

Did she consider them close enough to grant him a Christmas gift? After all she did admit that they only barely knew each other.

But maybe she was just being nice, like usual. It wouldn't be the first time she had tried to do something uncommonly kind for him, but boy did that ever turn into a disaster.

Maybe he was taking it too personally, maybe she sent something to Lockhart and Irma as well.

He pulled out the note and reread it again, even when she was sending a gift she sounded apologetic about it.

 _I saw it and thought of you_

It could just be a generic gift giving phrase, thrown in halfheartedly in an attempt to be sincere.

What could she possibly see in Italy that would make her think of him? A stone gargoyle?

He felt for the box in his pocket and sat it on his desk, staring at it in contemplation.

Dare he open it?

Dare he not?

Taking a moment to gather up his courage, Severus finally stopped putting off opening the gift and unsealed the lid of the box before pulling it open slowly.

Inside, cushioned by a layer of satiny fabric was a long, thin, black blade.

Obsidian to be more accurate, sharpened and polished volcanic glass that when well-tended and crafted with enough skill could produce a blade with more cutting capability than surgical steel scalpels.

The potions master cradled the blade gently in his callused palms, handling the sanded and polished wooden handle with grace.

Carefully he ran the pad of his finger up the edge of the blade and hissed sharply as the black stone bit into his skin mercilessly and christened the tool with a few drop of red blood.

It was a magnificent gift.

Eminently practical, yet personalized.

But that still left about a thousand questions racing through his brain.

But he narrowed them done to the basic two;

How?

Why?

How did she, on her pay, manage to afford an infamously costly tool such as a quality obsidian knife?

And why would she bother to give him anything, knowing for a fact that he was unlikely to have gotten her anything.

She did know that…right?

He would have another twenty four hours to figure it out before she came back to the school.


	16. Rocks and Stars

By five o'clock on Boxing Day, Veronica returned to the school looking happy, but tired.

She was greeted warmly by McGonagall and Dumbledore, and then by Lockhart who had basically been lost without her to direct him.

She then arrived in the dungeons of the castle much to the surprise of the potions master, who could usually hear the click of her high heels a mile down the hall.

"Hello?"

He looked up and found her small face peering shyly around the door and he sat up quickly. "You're back."

"Three days, as Promise." She pushed the door open and smiled in the doorway. "May I come in?"

"Oh," He stood and nodded, "Of course, close the door." He reminded her and she complied with a small smile.

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" she asked and Severus shrugged, eyeing the tool which still sat in its box on his desk.

"Lovely. And yourself?"

"Well once I got past the family drama, sibling rivalries, and overall stress of the holidays, it was really very nice." Veronica joked dryly and Severus smirked a little.

"Well, I'm glad." He walked down the steps to her but steadily slowed as he was struck by a change in her. Something he couldn't place his finger on until they stood on level ground and he could look down on her.

"Um…don't take this the wrong way…" He began, "but did you get shorter?"

"Wha…oh." Veronica looked down at her feet and laughed a little. "I guess you're not used to me not wearing heels."

The difference was a little off putting. She was shorter than several of his female students, and she couldn't have been more than 5'1, maybe 5'2. Her head was just barely to his shoulders.

Suddenly he was struck with the memory of the two of them in the library three days earlier and covered his mouth quickly but was unable to keep the smile from reaching his eyes.

"What?" Veronica laughed at his attempt to conceal the smile and grinned herself. "What's so funny?"

Swallowing his smile, thinning his lips, and avoiding her direct gaze he replied. "I just realized how true what I said in the library really is."

Veronica blinked, unable to recall.

"What did you say?"

Severus shook his head, "Doesn't matter. Uh…I…I want to thank you for…"

"Oh! Don't worry about it!" She grinned broadly. "As soon as I saw it I knew it was meant for you."

"Veronica" He sighed, "You and I both know that you can't afford…"

"Oh shh." She hushed him insistently. "If I want to do something nice for a friend during the holidays, I will." She eyed him slyly. "Besides if you get good use out of it and we remain friends then it's considered making connections and I can write it off as a business expense."

"I don't think you understand how business expenses work"

"Just…" she sighed. "Put it to good use alright?"

"Only if I can make it up to you." He pressed and Veronica rolled her brown eyes.

"Severus it was a Christmas _gift,_ the whole point of a gift is something you don't have to pay back."

"I can't accept that." He declined firmly. "Either you let me make it up to you, or that knife sits in the box for the rest of my life."

Veronica eyed him coolly until a small, shy smile spread across her face, embarrassed that he couldn't just accept the gift.

"I wish I could tell if you were bluffing or not."

Severus smirked knowingly, "No one ever can."

Veronica looked at the ground then back at him, biting her lip. "What did you have in mind?"

In truth, Severus didn't fully come up with the idea himself.

After hours of agonizing over how to even the playing field with the bubbly woman, Severus was forced to approach the single person he made a point of avoiding.

The one person who knew Veronica, and women in general, better than anyone in the castle.

Lockhart.

"The ideal date…"

"It's not a date."

"Should take place somewhere romantic."

"It's not a date."

"And should cater to the Lady's interest."

Severus felt the irritation bubble inside him but he needed all the help he could get. "Alright, she likes books, uh…being overly kind, over working herself."

"The stars."

Severus paused. "What?"

"Ronnie's very fond of astrology, constellations and the like."

Severus thought and pulled in his lips in contemplation.

He quickly and quietly thanked Lockhart in a low tone that could hardly be heard and then made for the dungeons to work out the rest of the plan.

"Meet me in the court yard at sun down just after curfew." He instructed her and she agreed with a nervous reluctance.

She spent the rest of the day catching up on work she missed over the holidays, and slowly began to pick up on hints Lockhart began to drop throughout the day.

"Sir," she finally said, "By any chance, you haven't spoken with Professor Snape while I've been gone have you?" she inquired and Lockhart shot her a dazzling toothy grin.

"Why, whatever would give you that Idea? You know he likes to keep to himself."

"That he does." She agreed smoothly and closed the file she had been writing in. "that he does."

Oh well, she thought, maybe he's just trying to be friendly.

Later that night, after dinner Veronica braved the dusky twilight of the castle and dressed in a less business like ensemble and still trading in her heels for a pair of slightly flimsy flats.

She was careful to avoid being seen as she made it to the open stone court yard that was nearly freezing in the Scottish autumn air, a gust of wind sending goosebumps up over her skin.

"Veronica."

She whipped around to find Severus behind her with an almost relieved look on his face, as if he wasn't sure she would actually come.

"I'm here." she looked around with an awkward smile and he nodded.

"I see that, come on." He led her away from the castle and out of the court yard, making her pause.

"Wait, we're leaving the castle?" she whispered and he eyed her. "What about making our rounds?"

"I convinced Lockheart to cover for us. Come on, I have something you'll want to see." Severus assured her and she fretfully looked over her shoulder at the castle, suddenly feeling very much like a teenager again; sneaking out of the house late at night.

"Alright." She whispered and followed him carefully.

When Severus first spotted her in the courtyard he had to stop himself from scolding her, not for anything she had done, but from behind she looked like a student out after curfew.

She had allowed her hair to hang loose down her back with only the sides pulled away from her face, and she dressed in a pair of plain black dress pants and a loose, tunic like, silvery blouse that looked more like an oversized suit shirt.

It struck him just how young she looked, despite nearly working herself to death on a daily basis. Until he got to her eyes, she had old eyes.

Wise beyond her years, two light brown pools that knew more than they told.

Veronica shivered in the cold, autumn air. Had she known their little adventure would take place outside she would have worn a coat.

They rounded the castle and made it to the west banks of the Black Lake, which shimmered in the waning sunlight and reflected the yellows and reds and violets of the setting sun.

"It's so lovely." She breathed in awe as she gazed over the normally dark, murky waters.

"Yes…it is." Severus agreed, momentarily taking in the sight that he had observed hundreds of times since he first arrived at Hogwarts. "But that's not what I wanted to show you. Follow me."

He directed her further down the muddy shore line until the land became more rock than soil and Veronica struggled to manage the terrain in her wholly unsuitable footwear. It only got more difficult as he led her downhill and into the wide mouth of a cavern.

Instantly she froze and Severus got a few yards ahead before realizing she had stopped following and turned to find her staring at the cavern in barely masked fear.

"Veronica?" He turned back and approached her as she looked away and swallowed.

"Yeah?"

"Are you coming?"

"I uh…" she glanced at the cavern ahead of them and her mind was filled with images of cave-ins, rock slides, and horror stories involving hikers being crushed by unexpected rock collapses.

"I can't" she whispered and shook her head, "I'm sorry Severus but I can't go in there I…I'm…" She didn't know how to say it without sounding foolish and Severus looked at the cave and felt a flood of understanding hit him.

"It's alright." He assured her and stood on even ground with her so he would tower over her. "This thing is as sturdy as can be."

She wasn't convinced and looked down at his large hand which hung at his side and timidly slipped her own small hand into his palm.

"O-okay, as long as you think it's safe." She whispered and He tensed at first at the sensation of someone touching him, and even more at the idea of her trusting him enough to face her fear.

"Um." He adjusted his grip on her hand and struggled to find his next words. "Just don't let go, right? It's completely safe."

The deeper they went the darker it got and every sound echoed off the rock walls.

"Ow" She hissed as her ankle rolled under her weight and prompted the Potions master to whip around a moment.

"Alright there?" He asked as he easily overtook the uneven setting and the women nodded anxiously.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She muttered as she took another step and nearly shrieked as the rocks she stepped on proved more unstable then they seemed.

Severus's grip on her hand tightened and his other hand darted out to grip her other arm and keep her from stumbling.

"Be careful!" he snapped harsher than he meant to and she glanced at him timidly, making him regret barking at her.

"I'm sorry."

"It's…" He swallowed hard, "It's alright, just be more careful. Only step where I step."

"Okay." She agreed and followed behind him, now free of his grip. She carefully calculated each step and together they traversed the rocky ground deeper into the cavern until they reached a flat spot at the bottom.

It was a cavity carved out by centuries of changing tides and in the roof was a giant, gaping hole through which the two had a perfect view on the now star filled sky.

Mirroring the Hole was a pool of still water, which was as smooth as if it were made of glass.

In the water the night sky was perfectly reflected, every detail as if some had carved a patch out of the heavens and placed within the cavern for safe keeping.

"Oh my God." Veronica marveled at the natural miracle and circled the pool with wide, wondrous eyes. "It's so beautiful, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

The somber man watched her gaze at the sky then into the pool, then back to the sky with a small shadow of a smile on his face.

She was like a child, so amazed by the astonishing wonders around her.

But the best was yet to come.

Having discovered this cave in his fifth year, after cutting himself off from nearly everyone, he spent a lot of time alone. And in that time he discovered a strange breed of guppy living in the pond.

"Watch." He carefully chose a peddle from the ground and motioned for her to watch carefully as he stared into the water a moment, admiring the heavenly reflection, before tossing the pebble into the center of the pool and causing a ripple effect that reached the shores.

Disturbed by the ripples, small, dark smudges began to dart about the water and soon, after a moment, they began to glow an almost unearthly golden light.

The ripples faded and the starry heavens trapped in the water now were illuminated in a divine shimmering light, as if scores of angels had shown their faces or the stars decided to shine extra bright and light up the whole pool with their rays.

The light threw shadows on the walls of the stone cavern and Veronica was dumbstruck by the beauteous wonderment.

It was unlike anything she had ever seen, or would likely see ever again.

After what felt like an eternity, the show ended too soon and they were once again left in the darkness, standing by the pool that still reflected the stars like a mirror.

Veronica didn't know what to say, and was almost afraid to make any noise should even the fainted sound tarnish the beauty of what they had witnessed.

She felt movement behind her and a momentary brush against the skin of her hand.

"We should go back"

His voice was the first to break the silence.

"In case someone comes looking for us."

Veronica nodded wordlessly and they began to hike back up the rocky hill, only now it was too dark for her to follow his footsteps, so instead he gripped her hand firmly and guided her up the rocks and into the starlight…


	17. Rumors

**_So to make up for the lack of updates here's an extra-long chapter_**

The next day the two did not speak on what they shared; not even to each other.

It was a private thing, and to speak on it might ruin it, as strange as the idea seemed.

Instead they both shared the memory in silent appreciation after Veronica quietly thanked him for his gift when they reached the castle in the dark of the night.

The next day Lockhart eyed the two coworkers with bright eyes, scanning them for any hints that something happened between the two thanks to his "tips".

"Well?"

"Well _what_?" Veronica sighed as she graded papers carefully, the tip of the quill scratching on the parchment at steady pace.

"Don't be coy, I know Severus took you out last night." Lockhart wagged a finger at her as if he had caught her in a clever trap and she scoffed at the idea.

"He did not _take me out_ " She repeated the words boldly, "He wanted to thank me for the gift I got him for the holidays, nothing more."

"Eh heh." Lockhart pressed his tongue to the back of his teeth and continued to answer fan mail, glancing up to eye her every so often before he stood slowly and rounded her discreetly.

Or rather he thought it was discreetly, in reality Veronica side-eyed him as he stood and swallowed a deep sigh as he craned his neck to look over her slowly.

"Lose something sir?" She inquired tartly and Lockhart's eyes darted away.

"No, nothing, just…" He glanced over her slightly opened collar with prying eyes. "Checking…"

"Sir!" Veronica's hand flew to her throat, scandalized when she realized just _what_ he was checking for. "I assure you nothing of that sort occurred!"

"Oh?" Lockhart frowned, disappointed that his advice had not led to at least a little "friendliness".

"Well Severus is something of a wintery man, perhaps he's just being shy."

Veronica threw down her quill in frustration, "Please! I assure you Professor Snape and I are merely acquaintances, friends if you will."

The woman grumbled and picked up her quill once more before adding under her breath. "And even if there was more to it, you would not find his mark upon me… He's too much a _gentleman_ to leave much _tawdry_ evidence."

Lockhart smirked a little at the whispered adage and dipped his quill in the blue ink once more. But the embarrassment had worked Veronica up too much for her to stay still and she stood quickly and took up her robe.

"I ought to start on my rounds, sir." She said swiftly, "I will finish grading the papers when I return."

Before Lockhart could say another word she was out the door and struggling to swallow her indignation.

But she did it, by God, and she plastered a smile on her face and made down the hall with her wand drawn, a bright light glaring from the tip.

"Veronica" a shrill Scottish accent called behind her as Minerva McGonagall strode up quickly beside her. "Your rounds are not for another hour, it's not safe to go wondering alone my dear."

"Sorry Professor. I just had to get out of there before I lost it." Veronica confessed with a tired grumble.

"Oh? Why this time."

"Oh, I gave Professor Snape a Christmas gift, he returned the favor, and now Lockhart is under the impression that we are caught in a sort of romance, as silly as that sounds." Veronica expressed the situation in a joking tone, but Minerva paused in her pace.

"You exchanged Christmas gifts with Severus?"

"Well…" Veronica felt the tone shift and looked away sheepishly. "Not exactly, I sent him a gift as sort of a surprise. And when I got back he _insisted_ on returning the favor, I couldn't talk him out of it."

"Well what did he do?" Minerva pried, surprisingly eager to learn that the stoic, frigid potions master has apparently done something _nice._ Especially for a practical stranger like Veronica who had only been at the school for a few months.

"Uh we…went for a walk. Somehow he found out I like astrology so after the sun went down he took me to a place I could see the stars clearly." Veronica smudged the details of the evening and McGonagall's mind reeled.

"That's very…out of character…for him." She mused and Veronica snickered.

"Maybe it's just character development."

"Have you spoke to him since?"

"Well, not really." The younger witch shook her head with a shrug. "We've both been very busy."

"I see." Minerva looked down the hall, "Well you are welcome to join me if you like, safer in pairs."

"I'd be happy to."

By the time Veronica returned to the class room it was well past midnight and Lockhart had turned in for the night, leaving the girl a pile of papers to grade.

"Lovely." She sighed and sat to work.

Thankfully weeks passed without event and December slowly melted away to January and the New Year.

It seemed the attacks had stopped for the time being, with no more bloody messages on the wall or strange occurrences in hallways.

Veronica and the staff allowed themselves to relax if only slightly, but were still constantly on alert.

All but one any way.

Lockhart's perpetual habit of throwing grand displays had calmed down a bit and Veronica almost, if only for a second, thought that perhaps he was beginning to take things more seriously.

Boy, was she _wrong_.

It started February 12th, when Lockhart started doing more of his own paperwork. Certain things that he insisted Veronica not review as they were "top secret".

February 13th she found a bill from a company which stated the charge for the rental of a dozen Dwarves.

And of February 14th, all the evidence came together in one abhorrent, gaudy, gargantuan display.

"Ho-ly Shi…"

"Ronnie!"

Veronica's mouth hung agape as if on loose hinges at the ghastly spectacle before her.

Throughout the Great Hall pink and red and white heart shaped confetti fell from the ceiling like snow and streamers hung from nearly every square inch of the place.

"Isn't it lovely?"

"I-I-You-it…" The woman couldn't even summon enough will power to form a simple sentence. Only broken fragments erupted from her lips like a record with a hundred scratches on it.

"Speechless I see, and that's not even the best part! Look!"

A Small dwarf with pointed ears and stumpy legs sauntered up to them in a diaper with golden wings strapped to his back and a bow and arrow on his arm.

"To deliver Valentines!"

"I-Ha-but…" Veronica's eyes just kept getting wider with horror. " _Why!?"_

"Why to bring some spirit back! The whole school has been so melancholy I thought we ought to bring in some cheer."

The vein in her temple began to twitch and throb so hard she wouldn't be surprised if it burst at this point as a dull ache began to form in the front of her head.

To be honest she wasn't sure if she was starting to stroke out or not, or if she might be suffering from some sort of brain aneurism, but Veronica detached herself from Lockhart's side and slowly made her way to the Head Table.

It wasn't just the decorations.

Or the Dwarves.

Or the sheer foolishness of the whole display.

Veronica really, really, _really_ hated Valentine's Day.

Every person has a day of the year that they cannot stand, be it some sort of anniversary, or holiday, or simply a bad memory.

Veronica's just happen to be the most "romantic" day of the year.

With her eyes closed she tried to will away the rubbish before her as she sat down slowly.

Fumbling in her pockets she pulled out the purple bottle of white pills Madame Pomphrey gave her for the headaches and popped two and washed them down with a sip of pumpkin juice.

"You have _got_ to be _kidding me_!"

Veronica looked up to find Severus had entered through the side entrance and looked absolutely dismayed by everything around him.

"So this is what Hell looks like."

"I think Dante forgot this layer." She jibed back as he sat down and tried to not to look around too much.

Severus watched her sit up slightly and noted something was off about her today.

Nothing really stood out, her hair was still in a tight twist and everything was still as neat as a pin, but somehow something just wasn't right.

That it hit him.

She hadn't a bit of color on her.

Normally she wore muted or pastel tones, but when she did wear darker clothes she added a splash of color or a bit of bold jewelry to break the monotony.

But today it was straight black.

Black slacks, black blouse and jacket, and shiny, sharp looking black heels.

And to his surprise she even skipped putting on makeup, it wasn't a large difference but it was noticeable.

Her lips were paler, as were her cheeks, and the shadows under her eyes were more pronounced without the concealer to hide them.

It wasn't as if she looked ill, or unkempt. She just didn't look entirely herself.

A slightly dulled, tarnished version of herself maybe.

"Severus… you're lost in thought again." She sipped from a steaming mug without looking at him, well aware of his momentary staring and figured he had be caught in an idea again.

"Sorry." He looked away quickly and wondered if he should bring it up…probably not a good idea.

"Have you seen the dwarves yet?" she inquired and Severus froze.

"The _What?"_

No sooner was it brought up did the first unlucky student receive a card from a rather loud and rude dwarf.

"Those dwarves." She sighed and shook her head. "Just wait till the Post arrives, then we'll all be in for a treat."

And sure enough, they were.

It seemed as though Lockhart received thousands of valentines from fans as owl after owl dropped cards and small gifts on his plate.

"Wow…just." Severus eyed the event with disgust. "Wow"

"Yep" Veronica concurred as an owl dropped the Daily Prophet and a small envelope into her lap. A card from her sister, as usual.

She took the card without even looking and slipped it into her jacket pocket and opened the paper casually.

Severus receive none, to no one's surprise and even to his own relief. He didn't think he would know how to react should something like that be dropped into his porridge.

"Have fun with that today." He muttered as they began to depart and Veronica frowned, dreading the day already.

It wasn't too bad, actually.

Lockhart had come to understand that Veronica wasn't the biggest fan of the Holiday and thankfully didn't force her to participate in his banter or laugh at his stupid, holiday related, jokes.

And it would have ended well as well, had someone not decided to have a little fun with one of the dwarves and the witch.

During a free period, Veronica spent a while in the Library.

While nose deep into a text on Medieval healing, Veronica didn't notice the stumpy little cupid storming over to her until he as standing on a table to be face level with her.

"Veronica Largo?"

Veronica felt her stomach drop into her knees and dread fill her.

"No." She hissed and stormed in the opposite direction, only for the creature to follow her with determination.

Moving faster than seemed logically possible he managed to latch onto her leg and make her stumble suddenly, catching her on a counter.

"I gotta message for ya!" He demanded and Veronica, filled with embarrassment, swallowed hard.

"Fine, out with it then!"

The dwarf humphed and cleared his throat.

 _Your lips are as sweet golden honey_

 _Your skin is as soft as a cloud._

 _My love for you will last forever_

 _Though I may never say it aloud_

"Here" the Dwarf thrust a card in her hand and stormed off, leaving her flushed a deep vermillion and equally enraged as she was humiliated.

The card was signed _S.S_ , but she didn't believe it for a second.

As she stormed out the patrons of the library watched her go, muttering slightly.

Fred Weasley leaned over to Lee Jordan and whispered. "I didn't know a person's face could _get_ that red."

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the card which had been carelessly left behind. Curious to see who would be sending the Assistant teacher such a poem the second he set eyes on the initials he forced himself to contain a joyous laugh.

"Oh you are not going to believe this!"

Lockhart had never seen Veronica so angry, at least not at him.

"I, well you have to understand, I only meant for the best…" he attempted to sooth her fury but only succeeded in make her stare at him in furious disbelief before storming out of the class room.

But the situation didn't stop there.

By the final bell the entire school was abuzz with the latest gossip fueled by the poem and the note.

Stories ranged from a tragic tale of unrequited affection from a lonely school teacher toward a pretty new coworker; to a licentious, impious love affair between a stoic, cold-hearted potions master and a doe eyed younger woman.

Severus, however, was _beyond_ livid.

Veronica had never seen a person so angry, or heard so much profanity in one sentence.

But strangely, in the midst of his tirade, she stopped listening to him and more to the words and soon enough noticed something slightly off.

His accent was hard to place but she was positive that every so often, if he got particularly impassioned, something would slip and not fit quite right with the rest of the sentence.

Once Severus got past his rage at Lockhart he settled on fuming over the rumors themselves.

"Veronica?"

"Huh?" she blinked out of her train of thought and looked at him. "Yes?"

"How can you be so calm?" Severus bellowed. "Half the school think's we're sleeping together and you're acting shockingly cavalier!"

"I guess I worked out all my anger already. And if you think about it…" she grinned a little. "It's really quite funny."

"I fail to see the humor in any of this." He growled harshly and she rolled her eyes.

"Well, in any case. It's better than them thinking I'm sleeping with Lockhart." She pointed out and Severus paused before smirking a little.

"I suppose. But at least then I would be kept out of it."

"Besides, maybe a little talk is just what the school needs. After everything that's happened we're all a little on edge." She reasoned logically. "I don't know about you but I'm willing to let a little gossip run loose if it means people will stop being scared of their own shadows."

Severus fell silent.

He didn't like the idea, after all he had a reputation to protect around here.

However, it wasn't as though there was any way to stop the talk now, and it would most likely die out in a week anyway.

Plus is wasn't as if they would have to do anything, they would just act as they always did and the word would fuel itself.

"Well, I won't address the rumors if you won't" He agreed halfheartedly and Veronica nodded.

"Good Man."

"But! Should this go too far I hold the right to put a stop to it, agreed?"

"Agreed." The girl nodded and sighed.

"So." Severus smirked a little. "The idea of sleeping with me is preferable to sleeping with Lockhart?"

"Oh, much" Veronica laughed and nodded, only half joking before she thought slowly. "Severus, can I ask you something?"

"Within reason."

"Where are you from?"

Severus glanced at her a moment, and suddenly seemed rather uncomfortable. "Come again?"

"I mean, where were you raised? I don't know what it is but whenever you get angry something about the way you talk changes…I was just curious, that's all." She shrugged, it wasn't really that big of a deal.

After a moment of contemplating Severus shrugged with his face completely passive. "Here and there I suppose."

It was a vague answer, no kind of answer at all really. But Veronica accepted it so as not to press the subject.

"Now may I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why do you dislike Valentine's Day?"

Now it was Veronica's turn to get uncomfortable.

"How could you tell?"

"You haven't been yourself today, I had a hunch"

"Well uh…It's sort of a long story." She didn't look at him but could feel his eyes on her. "I mean…It's not exactly one you go around telling to people, sort of embarrassing really."

"I won't press it if you don't want to tell me." He offered and she shrugged.

"It's just sort of…"

"Personal?"

She smiled sadly and nodded. "Yeah, personal."

Severus nodded slowly, "That's alright."

Veronica thought a moment, "you know, for friends we really don't know much about each other."

"True, but that begs the question; do we really _need_ to?" He inquired. "I mean if we enjoy each other's company shouldn't we start from there."

Veronica nodded in agreement. "Fair enough, but we should know _something_ about each other don't you think?"

"Alright." Severus thought of a fact he would willingly disclose about himself but found very few. "How about age? How old are you?"

"Twenty eight, you?"

"Thirty two."

Veronica paused and eyed him. "Really? Huh."

"What?"

"Nothing, I just pegged you for older."

Severus crossed his arms, "how much older?"

"Does it matter?"

"Well since you've brought it up…"

Veronica eyed him up and down and shrugged. "Late thirties, maybe forties" She estimated and Severus thought before nodding.

"I suppose that's fair, but on the other hand you don't exactly look twenty eight either."

Veronica opened her mouth before smiling. "Oh this should be rich. Alright, let me have it; don't be gentle."

"I'd say, mid-twenties, but in dim lighting you could easily pass for twenty or twenty one."

"Well, aren't you just sweet?" Veronica rolled her eyes, convinced he was flattering her. "No wonder the rumors are so scandalous, people must think _you're_ robbing the cradle and _I'm_ chasing after older men…"


	18. Proud Association or Lockhart was Right

**Thanks for all the new reviews! Enjoy!**

Days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months, and yet the rumors did not cease.

If anything they _escalated._

Veronica found it annoying yes, by Severus found it intolerable.

Of everyone in the school, why did she have to choose _him_ to befriend?

What was so appealing about him that made her get close enough for people to think they were sleeping together?

And why did she have to act so damn _calm_ about it all? It was as if she didn't ever _mind_ the rumors!

Did she mind? He wondered. Surely she must.

After all, she's a lady.

Kind, modest, refined, and respectable.

Soon the man convinced himself that, yes, she _did_ mind the rumors.

But she was just too kind hearted to put a stop to them for fear of damaging his ego.

A generous, yet foolish gesture.

For the sake of Veronica's sensibilities and reputation, Severus decided something firmly. He would have to put an end to these rumors, even if it meant limiting his time with her.

Soon after a few weeks Veronica noticed a steady decline in their communication.

He didn't start conversations at meals anymore and any attempts at conversation Veronica started were met with short, one word answers and little to no eye contact.

He didn't wait for her after meals anymore, instead he left immediately after he finished.

If he spotted her in the Library he made sure to remain at least two aisles away from her.

But what really broke the camel's back was when he stopped answering his door during his free periods.

Normally Veronica would spend a period or two with him just talking or in utter silence, enjoying each other's company.

But now it was as if he was refusing to see her for some reason, he was shutting her out and locking the doors up once again.

And although she didn't say anything about it, Veronica's distress was evident.

At first she tried acting as if nothing was happening, but that didn't work she tried to discreetly ask him what was wrong.

Then after that, she just stopped trying.

She didn't know what she could have done wrong, but she would not press the subject.

If He didn't want to see her, than who was she to force it on him?

"Ronnie?"

She looked up dully and found Lockhart looking at her with curious eyes. She had been sitting with the same essay in front of her for the past twenty minutes, staring blankly into space.

"Oh, sorry." She whispered. "I'm just having an off day I guess."

"It's Severus, isn't it?"

She froze and swallowed. "Whatever would give you that idea?" she spoke in just above a whisper and began to scribble a grade on a paper she hadn't really read.

"I noticed you two haven't been spending much time together anymore…any time together really." He noted and Veronica shrugged.

"We're both very busy." She dismissed plainly and Lockhart frowned, this isn't what he was aiming for at all.

He meant to bring them closer not push them apart.

"I think…there is more to it than that." He hummed and plucked the quill from her fingers and slid the papers away from her. "Now, is there something you would like to talk about?"

"There's nothing to say."

"Nothing to say, or you don't know what to say?"

She fell silent and Lockhart, in a rare moment lacking in narcissism, sighed and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I guess…I guess I just overstepped my bounds somewhere." She uttered, "Maybe I did, or said something…I don't know. He's a guarded person, maybe he just needs some time alone."

Lockhart nodded, but his eyes said he wasn't satisfied.

"Well uh…oh." He looked over her shoulder. "Would you look at the time, I have to start my rounds. Are you good to finish these papers?" He asked and Veronica nodded, pleased that he was leaving the subject be for now.

"Yeah, I've got it." She smiled a little as if to assure him she was just fine as he made for the door with no intention of starting his rounds just yet.

Instead he made his way down stairs and into the dungeons.

Now for any sane individual, other than Veronica, this would be a task fraught with anxiety and minor fear.

But Lockhart was so set on digging for the truth that he didn't let that even enter his mind.

"Severus?" He knocked on the door with a smile and on the other side Snape, sitting at his desk, felt the hairs on his arms stand on end.

Oh what fresh hell is this? He thought bitterly as the knocking continued.

Soon it became clear Lockhart would not be leaving him be until he opened the door so no bothering to move from his desk, Severus unlocked the latch and the Blond came strutting in with a broad smile.

"Good Evening Severus."

"Can I help you?" he got right to the point bluntly and didn't bother to look up.

"Yes I was wondering if I might ask you something."

Severus sighed and put aside his quill, containing an eye roll he glanced at the abominable twit before him. "Yes?"

"What happened between you and Veronica?"

Severus froze and it seemed that the air in the room dropped about ten degrees.

"Come again?"

"You and Veronica, what happened?"

Severus pulled in his lips and contained a growl. "Am I to assume you are referring to the recent rumors?"

"No, I know those aren't true." Lockhart shook his head. "It's just recently Ronnie has been a bit put out, and I suspect it has something to do with the two of you cutting ties."

Severus thought, he hadn't considered the idea that Veronica might wonder why he was acting the way he was. He assumed that she wouldn't think twice about it.

"I think you have overestimated the strength of our affiliation Lockhart. I'm sure that's not what's bothering her." He declined and Gildaroy frowned.

It was one thing to hurt a person, it was another not to accept responsibility for it.

"I think it is. In fact I _know_ it is." Lockhart objected firmly. "Whatever your relationship meant to you I assure you it meant a great deal to _her._ As far as I know you are one of the only friends she has and if I am correct the _only_ male one."

Severus was surprised by the conviction in his tone but Lockhart carried on in defense of his assistant.

"Furthermore, while I may not have always done right by Ronnie, and I can admit that, she is a good person. A _kind_ person, who hurts very easily. Whether or not you intend on pursuing your friendship with her further is up to you but I believe either way you owe her an explanation."

Severus was dumbstruck, staring at the man with dark eyes that soon enough made Lockhart extremely uncomfortable.

"Good evening Severus." He nodded and fled the dungeon classroom by Severus continued to stare, and felt the dawning realization that he could have handled this a little bit better.

He had been so consumed with doing right by Veronica, he didn't realize he was doing the exact opposite.

And as much as it caused him physical and emotional pain he had to admit.

Lockhart was right.

Shuttering at the very idea Severus sighed and thought carefully.

He had to fix this.

Within a half an hour Veronica was surprised to see a small paper airplane zip through the air and into the classroom before landing on the table before her.

Carefully she unfolded the paper and scanned the hastily written script.

 _Veronica,_

 _I must speak with you, it is urgent._

 _Please meet me in the west hall by the courtyard in ten minutes._

 _S.S._

At first she debated whether or not she should even go.

He was the one who stopped talking not she, why should she indulge him now?

But curiosity burned within her, she had to know why.

She took up her winter cloak and wand and made for the Hallway, arriving precisely on time.

Heavy rain fell in the courtyard and roared on the roof but she waited in the silence.

"Veronica?"

She turned around with her wand lit. "I'm here."

Severus was leaning on a pillar and from the angle he stood at he almost seemed to be hiding behind it shyly.

"I was worried you wouldn't come."

"Why did you want me to come?"

He bit his lip and cast his eyes to the ground, "Because I've wronged you. And you deserve an explanation."

Veronica was surprised. She had been under the impression she had wronged _him_ in some way. Not the other way around.

"Alright." She stepped closer to him and he resisted shuffling back. "Go ahead."

He swallowed and struggled to find the words he needed. "Until recently, I thought I was doing what was best for you. Shutting you and limiting contact. I thought it might stop the rumors about us…"

"I told you I didn't care about that." Veronica pointed out with a sigh and Severus shook his head.

"I know what you said, but after due consideration I had convinced myself that you were lying out of politeness."

Veronica gaped at him in silence and after a moment shook her head. "Why the bloody Hell would I do that?"

"Come on Veronica." Severus sighed. "Rumors start flying about someone like _you_ fooling around with someone like _me._ You expect me to believe that you're okay with people thinking that?"

"I really don't give a damn what people think." She crossed her arms and approached him fully, looking up at him with scolding eyes. "And just what do you mean, someone like _you_ and someone like _me_?"

Severus looked increasingly uncomfortable, figuring she was smart enough to understand immediately. "Well…you know" He shrugged "You're an intelligent, attractive, genuinely compassionate, articulate, and all around good person and I'm well…I'm _me_."

"So what?" she shrugged and Severus' brows shot up incredulously.

" _So what?"_

"Yeah, so what? What's so bad about you? Other than your habit of miscommunication."

"I…Well I…" He sputtered. "I just didn't think that someone as _good_ as you are would want to be associated with someone like…"

"Like you, you've said that already but that doesn't answer my question." She cut him of sternly. "What is so bad about you? Huh?" she leaned on the pillar next to him. "You're witty, mind bogglingly brilliant, you make me laugh, and despite your hard exterior you're actually a very caring person."

Severus stared at her, wondering where on earth she could have pulled those traits from.

"Look, I just wanted to tell you that…for your own sake…I think it's best if you don't associate yourself with me." He stated.

Veronica closed her eyes and considered this a moment before sighing and pointing to the stone bench on the wall.

"Sit down Severus."

"I really shouldn't…"

"That was not a question, nor was it a request. Sit down." She repeated even firmer than before and he obeyed quickly as she rounded and sat next to him, forehead held in one hand.

"Okay. First of all, I understand your intentions were good. I can appreciate that." She began and Severus nodded.

"But…?"

"But…" she continued. "You are one of the most self-deluded people I have ever met. I mean look at you." She laughed. "You're Brilliant, you're funny, and at the right moment you can even be a little nice. And yet you're making it sound like I'm associating myself with…I don't know…Lord Voldemort or something…"

"Whoa, whoa…" Severus stopped her, feeling his heart skip a beat or two. "Why would you say that?"

Veronica paused and shrugged, "because he was one of the worst wizards to have existed and you are not." She explained. "You are a genuinely amazing human being Severus Snape, and do you know why I'm not upset over these rumors?"

"Why?"

"Because I am proud enough saying that I've _met_ someone like you, let alone people thinking we're sleeping together. I am, Severus. I am damn _proud_ to say I've met someone who can hold a conversation in Latin, quote Shakespeare, and brew a potion better than anyone on this earth! I am..."

She finished with a laugh and a shake of her head. "I really really am."

For the second time in one night Severus was struck into silence, mind reeling over a thousand miles an hour.

"Well" Veronica eyed him expectantly. "Say something."

"I don't know what to say."

She sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry that you think that I wouldn't want to be associated with you Severus. But the truth is I would, I would be honored."

She slipped her hand into his just as she had in the cavern months ago, but this time the gesture held more confidence that before. Now it was her turn to provide comfort.

Severus tensed up for a second and moved to dislodge his hand from hers but paused to assess the situation before tightening his grip.

Maybe just this once, he thought.

"I'm sorry." He muttered and Veronica smiled.

"Don't be."

"I am."

"Well stop."

He smirked a little.

"Okay"


	19. A Break in the Peace

**So thanks for all the reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Severus and Veronica went back to their routine as usual.

The School however, did not.

As soon as the winter faded into spring, chaos erupted once more one warm, sunny day that sent the entire school into perpetual lockdown.

There was another attack.

What was even more terrifying?

It happened in broad daylight.

"Madame Largo!" Minerva appeared outside the door of the classroom where Veronica was overseeing an after class detention, "May I speak with you outside a moment, please?"

"Of course Professor." Veronica cast a scathing eye over the few troublesome students before leaving the room and shutting the door firmly. "Minerva?"

"Send the students to their dormitories, quickly." Minerva spoke in a hurried and hushed tone, "There's been another attack."

"What?" Veronica gasped. "But just now? Did anyone see it?"

"Not a soul. Please, hurry and send word to Severus; he's over seeing a detention as well. All the teachers are to meet in the Headmaster's office." Minerva instructed and Veronica obeyed swiftly. After the students filed out and to their respective dormitories she rushed to the dungeons, and knocked on the door firmly.

Severus answered it with a sour expression but it shifted slightly at the sight of her disturbed features.

"Send all the students to their dormitories." She whispered so that the students would not over hear. "There's been another attack. We must go to Dumbledore's office immediately."

No time was wasted and soon the two were striding down the empty Halls quickly to receive new instructions in light of the most recent attack.

 ** _All students will return to their house common rooms by six o'clock every evening._**

 ** _All students will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher._**

 ** _No exceptions_**.

After the meeting let out Severus took Veronica aside a moment, waiting for everyone else to clear out before he spoke lest he be over heard.

"Veronica, in light of recent event…I think it better if you do not come down to my office anymore." He spoke plainly and Veronica's heart sunk a moment.

"Why?" She asked. "H-have I done something…"

"No it's nothing like that." Severus shook his head, a fearful look glimmering behind his dark eyes that he didn't bother to conceal this time. Maybe if she saw it she would understand.

"It's just that you have to walk quite a long way to get there…alone. I…I don't think it's safe" He muttered. "Perhaps it would be better if we were to meet somewhere else in private to speak."

With her fears assuaged Veronica nodded, touched that he was showing a genuine concern for her safety. "Where did you have in mind?"

"I'm not sure yet, I just don't want you wandering around the castles with the way things are." He glanced away a moment. "Promise me."

"Promise you what?"

"Promise me you won't go out after dark, not alone anyway." His eyes bore down into her, urging her to swear it to him if only for his own peace of mind.

Veronica was thinking of arguing, reminding him that she wasn't a child or some delicate thing to be kept safe. But something in his voice and his face told her that he wouldn't be able to rest easy without knowing she wouldn't put herself in harm's way.

"Alright." She sighed and nodded. "Alright, I'll…try not to wander. But only if you promise not to do anything stupid either." She poked him in the chest firmly.

"Have I ever?"

"At one point, I'm sure." She smirked. "Swear it."

"I swear." He nodded and motioned down the hall. "I'll walk you back to the class room"

"What a gentleman" Veronica half joked and took the lead anyways.

Meanwhile, despite the tragic circumstances, she could not help but be pleased with his concern for her. At least it was a sign that he cared, even just a little bit.

With the entire castle on edge, Veronica once again felt that familiar need to do something nice to bring light to the situation. So while the light was still in the sky she decided to pay a visit to Hagrid, the groundskeeper.

The two hadn't be particularly close, but enough to form what might be considered a friendship.

Wrapped in a blue wool cloak she jogged down the hill and knocked on the Groundskeeper's door gently.

The second she did the door swung open as if it had been blasted off its hinges. "Who's there?" a gruff voice asked and Veronica instantly put her hands up at the sight of the cross bow the man was wielding.

"Whoa, hey there." She stepped back. "It's just me, Veronica."

"Oh, Veronica." Hagrid set the bow down with a sigh. "what're you doin' down here?"

"I thought I should pay you a visit before the sun went down…I assume you've heard of all the madness at the school." He ushered her into the shabby hut and closed the door firmly.

"Oh yeah, I heard." Hagrid nodded and Veronica eyed him.

"So uh…what's with the crossbow?"

"Oh!" Hagrid set the thing aside by the fire place with a nervous chuckle. "Somethin' attackin me chickens. Need'ta keep a close eye you know…"

"Right." Veronica agreed uneasily as she sat by Fang, the giant hound that Hagrid kept. "So…all well then?"

"Alright, alright." Hagrid nodded and they both suddenly jumped at a clatter behind them in the corner of the room.

"Uh this old house." Hagrid sputtered suddenly as she squinted in the corner, "Always settlin'. Tea?"

"No thank you I can't stay long. I made a promise to be back to the castle before dark." She eyed the window where she could see the sun slowly setting.

"Oh?" Hagrid eyed her. "Who made ya promise that, Lockhart?"

"Snape" There was another shuffle behind her and Veronica looked over her shoulder again.

"Oh" Hagrid thought a moment. " _Oh."_

"Stop." Veronica held out one finger. "It's not like that."

"That's not what I've been hearing." Hagrid tested her with a knowing smile under his scraggy, wild beard.

"Well, what you've been hearing is wrong." Veronica corrected him smartly. "Believe it or not we're just friends."

"Well that's a feat in itself ain't it?" Hagrid laughed. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone get this close to ole' Snape, 'ceptin maybe one to two people. But that was a long time ago."

"He's a…hard man to know. But he's good company." Veronica asserted with a thoughtful nod. "Even then I wouldn't say we're _close,_ I mean I don't really know anything about him except for what I've picked up from talking to him. And he doesn't really know me all that well either."

Hagrid's bushy brows raised at the idea of a friendship where two people had absolutely no information on the other. "Well it's interesting I'll give ya that." He conceded.

"Well it works so…"

There was a knock at the door and they looked over. Hagrid stood quickly and answered it.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir!" Hagrid gasped and Veronica looked out the window.

It was pitch dark out.

Damn.

"Good evening Hagrid." The man croaked. "I wonder, could we…?" He motioned inside and Hagrid nodded.

"Of course sir."

The Headmaster entered followed by a man familiar to Veronica. Cornelius Fudge, the minister for Magic.

"Madame Largo, What are you doing here?"

"Just visiting Headmaster." Veronica eyed them nervously. What business did the minister have here? It must be about the attacks.

"Bad business Hagrid, very bad business." The minister muttered. "Three attacks on muggleborns. Things have gone too far. We must act."

Finally, Veronica thought, someone plans on actually _doing_ something.

"But I would never!" Hagrid grew flushed and sputtered, turning to the headmaster. "Sir you know I would never…"

"Minister. I want it noted that Hagrid has my full confidence." Dumbledore put in and the Minister shook his head.

"Hagrid's record stands against him, I am afraid I must take him."

"Take him where?" Veronica shot in.

"Not Azkaban Prison." Hagrid protested and Veronica suddenly paled.

"Whatever for? Surely you cannot think _Hagrid_ has anything to do with all of this!"

"Madame, I am afraid we have no choice…"

"Already here Fudge?" A cool, smooth voice slithered from the doorway. "Good."

A tall, handsome man with long blonde hair entered the hovel and Veronica's hair stood on end.

Lucius Malfoy, arguably one of the slimiest human beings she had ever had the displeasure of meeting and working under.

Apparently Hagrid shared this sentiment. "What're you doin' here?" He growled harshly. "Get outta my house!"

"Believe me I derive no pleasure from being in…" He looked around with barely hidden disgust and contempt. "You call this a house?"

Veronica stepped forward, placing herself between Hagrid and the rest with a resolute frown as the man continued.

"No. I simply called at the school, and was told the headmaster was here."

"And just what do you want with him?" Veronica practically hissed and the man eyed her with amused disdain before turning to the old man.

"The other governors and I have decided it's time for you to step aside." He handed him a scroll of parchment with a formal looking seal on it. "This is an order of suspension. You'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you've rather…lost your touch. Well, what, with all these attacks, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts."

He contained a snide smirk as he added "I can only imagine what an awful loss that would be to the school."

Veronica felt anger rise into her cheeks but Hagrid was the one to voice it.

"You can't take away professor Dumbledore!" He protested. "Take him away and the muggleborns won't stand a chance…mark my words there'll be killin's next!"

"Hagrid please" Veronica tried to shush him before he made things worse.

"Calm yourself, Hagrid." Dumbledore sighed. "If the governors desire my removal, I will, of course, step aside. However…" He added with a gleam "you will find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

"Admirable sentiments." Malfoy nodded.

Hagrid, following Dumbledore's dignified lead, nodded and looked around before leaving. "Ahem! If, uh, if anybody was looking for some stuff, then all they'd have to do would be to follow the spiders. Yup! That would lead them right! That's all I have to say." He began to leave before looking back "Oh, and someone'll need to feed Fang while I'm away."

Veronica watched them all leave and looked around. It was utter darkness and she sighed before praying for something all Hogwarts Students pray for when they are in her position.

To not get caught by Snape after dark.

Reaching the castle her heels seemed infinitely louder than before in the tile floor and she found herself pausing to listen in the darkness.

Slipping off her heels she began to walk faster and drew her wand, just in case. Plagued by the idea that she was not alone, she picked up her fast again and turned a corner before gasping and pressing herself against a wall.

It might have been a shadow, it may have been her imagination, but she most definitely saw something.

Closing her eyes she listened and in the silence there was a dull sliding sound, like something dragging across the floor.

Just like the sound she had heard before she discovered the first child.

Her heart began to pound harder and harder as she heard the sliding get closer and closer until she couldn't bear it anymore and she shot off like a jet.

Barely aware of her own direction Veronica was only aware of getting away from whatever the hell it was until she arrived at the door of the classroom and practically slammed it shut behind her.

The room was black and empty, and the only sound was her heavy breathing as she slumped down on the floor and carefully, she opened the door a crack and peered out.

She couldn't see anything, but the sound was clear as a bell and closer than before.

It had followed her.

Shutting the door quickly and locking it she sighed and swallowed, trying to sooth her pounding heart and burning lungs.


	20. A Little Thing Called Mutiny

_**So I'm back! and I hope you enjoy the new chapter! Things will be really heating up in this chapter.**_

Veronica knew that if Severus discovered she had been out last night he would be furious, so she kept it to herself.

By dawn she had herself convinced that she had been alone in the hall after all, and she had foolishly tricked herself into thinking she was being chased.

What reason could the creature that attacks muggleborn children have to chase a halfblood adult anyway?

None.

So the next day she carried on as if nothing had happened.

She and Severus agreed to meet in the astronomy tower after classes as it was semi-private most of the time.

Everyone was on edge, even the Slytherins who until now seemed content in the knowledge that they would not be attacked traveled in large packs everywhere they went.

Veronica escorted classes back and forth between rooms and ran messages for professors which was usually a job for upperclass students.

By day's end she was dog tired but still jumpy as a field mouse as she sat in the classroom and listened to Lockhart drone on about how he was sure he was _this_ close to catching the creature himself.

She paid him no mind, even if he had the skills to do so he would not, he didn't have the nerve no matter what his books boasted.

She was convinced he exaggerated half of what he wrote anyway.

Suddenly Minvera's voice came over the intercom in a calm yet severe tone. "All students are to return to their house dormitories at once. All teachers to the second floor corridor, _immediately."_

"This can't be good" Veronica swallowed and rushed out, not even bothering to notice that Lockhart had dozed off by the fire place or wake him up.

As she rushed up the stairs students stopped to ask her what was wrong but she sent them off with a firm instruction to get to their dormitories immediately, everything is under control.

This lie sent them off with skeptical and fearful looks as halls cleared and Veronica's heels clicked across the tiles in a rapid motion until she came upon Severus, Minerva, Madame Pomphrey, and Headmaster Dumbledore along with the rest of the faculty in front of a torch lit wall, all of them pale with horror.

"What is it?" She jogged the rest of the way and the wall came into focus.

More writing, still in blood.

But this time the message was much more direct and sinister.

 ** _Her Skeleton Will Lay In The Chamber Forever_**

"Oh my Holy God." Veronica gasped and her hand flew to her gaping mouth. "What is this?"

"Exactly what it looks like" Severus swallowed, visibly shaken himself.

"I am afraid our worst fears have been realized." Minerva trembled. "A student has been taken by the monster…into the chamber _itself._ " She looked out at all of them. "I am afraid that this is the end of Hogwarts…the children must be sent home."

She turned to the youngest member of the faculty, "Veronica, would you mind helping me write the letters to parents?"

"Of course not Minerva." Veronica nodded solemnly.

"So Sorry." A clear voice echoed off the walls as Lockhart finally joined the group. "Dozed off, what've I missed?"

Severus, now more maddened by the man than ever before, contained a withering scowl. "A girl has been snatched by the creature Lockhart, your moment has come at last."

Lockhart's smile faltered greatly. "m-my moment?" He swallowed and Veronica's hope was renewed slightly.

"Of course." She turned to Lockhart, "You were just saying a moment ago how much progress you had made in tracking it, surely you'd be the best for the job now."

Lockhart paled considerably but kept the smile on his face, though now it seemed to be fixed on with terror.

"Well, that's settled." Minerva agreed seriously "We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are legend."

"Right…" Lockhart's voice wavered. "I'll just…go and…prepare." He turned and Veronica was at his side, for once in a great while displaying willing eagerness.

"I'll assist you sir, come." She took the lead down the stairs and Lockhart followed reluctantly as they reached the classroom.

"Uh Ronnie, can you uh…" he sputtered and she stared at him, eager to do all she could to help him save this girl.

"I'll need you to bring me a copy of all my books from the class room… so I may refresh myself on battle tactics." He explained and Veronica nodded and left him.

The second she was out the door Lockhart scrambled to begin packing.

With an arm full of books Veronica turned at a noise and found Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley rushing through the door way.

"Wait a moment." She stopped them and darted to block their path. "What do you two think you're doing out of your dormitories?" She asked forcibly and the two swallowed.

"Madame Largo please! We have information on the Chamber! We know Professor Lockhart is going to save Ginny!" Potter explained persistently. "We have to tell him what we know."

"Professor Lockhart is very busy, now come with me." She took their arms. "You two are going back to your common rooms."

"Please, she's my sister!" Ronald insisted. "It's important, we have to tell him."

Veronica swallowed and sighed, conflicted but still she nodded.

"Alright, but make it quick." She led them to the office door and opened it.

"Professor, these boys…what are you doing?" Veronica squinted as Lockhart was shoving clothes into his trunk like a mad man with a flushed face.

"Ronnie…I mean, Madame Largo." Lockhart paled and looked at the boys.

Harry looked around with a look of disbelief. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Eh uh…urgent call…can't be avoided I'm afraid." Lockhart scrambled but Veronica stepped forward.

"What about the child! You can't leave now!" she protested "You're the _defense against the dark arts teacher_!"

"Well when I took the job the description did not say…"

"What about everything you've done in your books?" Harry cut in and Lockhart slammed a trunk shut.

"Books can be very misleading young man." He grunted as he tried to haul the trunk off the bed and Veronica stared at the man in abject horror as it fell with the floor with a rattling thunk.

"You're a con." She whispered after a moment's silence. "An errant fraud! You've made your fortune off of lies! Did any of those things actually happen?!"

"Of course they did!" Lockhart protested.

"So you've just been taking credit for the accomplishments of others!" she stated with fury. The heat rose in her cheeks and she had never wanted to inflict physical harm on a person more than she did right now

"Is there anything you can do?" Ron asked and Lockhart paused.

"Actually yes…I'm rather gifted with Memory Charms. Otherwise, you see, all those wizards would have gone blabbing. And I'd never have sold another book." Lockhart fully confessed now and Veronica slowly drew her own wand as he turned around

"In fact, ah...I'm ah...going to have to do the same to you."

He turned with his wand drawn but found three more pointed right back at him.

One directly at his noise, and on the other end was Veronica was a furious look in her eyes that only a select few people in this world had ever seen before.

"You wouldn't…" Lockhart half challenged but he quivered when her grip tightened.

"Try me."

Veronica swallowed. "Boys, put your wands away there's been a change in plans." She ordered and they did as instructed.

"What are you going to do?" Ron asked and Veronica closed the door and firmly took Lockhart's wand from him with her own carefully trained right between his eyes.

"I'm going down into the chamber myself." She said slowly. "And you, Gilderoy, are coming with me."

She spoke calmly in a voice that was just above a soothing whisper but it was filled with carefully controlled anger. Lockhart actually looked scared by her voice alone and flinched.

"Now, Ronnie…" Lockhart tried to laugh this away but the look in her eyes killed it.

"Shut up." She hissed. "And don't call me that. I know _you_ probably don't even have the foggiest idea what the chamber even is, but _I_ do. Unlike you I've been taking this _seriously_ and doing my research…" she frowned. "But you're coming with me because I'd been foolish to go alone, all you'd be in the _idiot_ behind the wand to keep me covered."

Lockhart began to tremble as Veronica looked to the boys. "You two go back to your dorms, everything is under control."

Harry and Ron actually felt a lot better about the situation now that someone else had taken charge.

"But Ma'am, we know where the chamber is!" Potter insisted

Veronica looked at Potter carefully. "How?"

"We figured it out, we're not entirely sure but It's better than nothing."

Veronica swallowed and nodded. "Very Well, take us there and then moment we find it you two are to go directly back to your common rooms, _am I understood?"_

The last part was so harsh for a moment Ron was actually reminded of Professor Snape whenever he deducted points from Gryphindor.

"Yes ma'am." Harry agreed and he and Ron led the two out into the hall.

Veronica kept her wand trained on Lockhart the entire time; standing especially close to him and keeping the tip jabbed into his ribs so that he if made any sudden moves he would be down in a second.

They reached the flooded Girl's bathroom quickly, wasting no time.

"You're sure it's in here?"

"I think so, we spoke to the girl who died in here. She's the one the monster killed before." Harry explained as he examined the faucet heads. "It should be around here somewhere…"

He paused as his fingers ran over an etched in emblem on the side of one of the sinks. "I think this is it." He stepped back and Veronica, stepping away from Lockhart a moment, examined it.

"How do we open it?" She asked and Ron piped up.

"Harry! say something in Parseltongue!" He suggested and Harry stepped back and motioned for the woman to do the same.

Harry stared at the lock and after a moment began to hiss in that unfamiliar and eerie way until the floor around them began to shake and the ornate center of the faucets began to twisted and open into a deep, dark cavern in the floor.

"Oh my God." Veronica whispered and stepped forward before stumbling back, just the very idea of the tunnel making her breath hitch and her bones tingle with fear.

"Wonderful!" Lockhart clapped and began to turn. "I guess you won't be needing me…"

He froze as the portion of wall beside him legitimately exploded under his touch and he fell backwards with a cry before turning to find Veronica with her wand drawn and on him.

"Don't even _think_ about it." She hissed and Lockhart pulled himself to his feet.

"Now Veronica please…this is nonsense. You're obviously more qualified for this job, I'd only get in the way" Lockhart reasoned and Veronica eyed the students.

"Boys you've done a wonderful job, now head back to the common room." She told them but they paused to watch as Veronica corralled a terrified looking Lockhart toward the pit.

For a moment they actually thought she was going to push him in.

"You first… _professor."_

Lockhart looked over his shoulder and swallowed hard. "But…"

" _Now_ "

He turned and looked down before Veronica frowned and gently tapped his back, intending to get his attention but instead scaring him half to death and sending him down into the pit.

They listened to his scream until he landed with a thought.

The next moment was a pregnant silence until, far below them, they heard.

"It really is filthy down here."

"Okay, Mr. Potter. Mr. Weasley. If we are not back by sun up I need you to inform the teachers or the headmaster what has happened. Do you understand?" She asked but instead she turned to find Ron staring at the pit.

"Sorry Ma'am" Ron swallowed. "But my sister's down there." In a second he was down the pit and Veronica let out a half scream and vainly reached out to grab him.

"Mr. Weasley!" she yelled down. "Are you alright?"

"Yes!" the reply came and Veronica nodded.

She was so getting fired for this.

"Stand clear of the hole, I'm coming down!" Harry yelled and Veronica tried to stop him as well but didn't move fast enough and was left alone at the top of the hole.

"Men" a high, shrill voice laughed behind her and she turned to find a young ghost girl floating over one of the stalls. "You can't tell them anything."

Veronica turned and stared into the deep pit, her heart pounding and her mind going a hundred miles a minute.

Then she remembered that little girl, whom she didn't even know but was in mortal danger and needed her help.

Recalling her promise to Snape not to do anything stupid she shook her head and crossed herself as she used to when she still went to church.

"Sorry Severus." She muttered as she jumped into the pit with a shrill scream.


	21. Into the Chamber

The next five seconds was the most terrified Veronica had ever been in a long, long time.

Complete and total darkness heightened every sense she had until she felt the slide she had been on drop out from under her, she screamed at the sudden drop and she hit the ground.

She blinked and looked around before lighting her wand.

They were in a giant stone cavern and she closed her eyes, trying to maintain her breathing.

Now was not a time to panic, she had to keep it together.

"Okay boys, stay behind me." The woman took a step and stumbled back at the cracking sound and looked down.

The floor was covered in a combination of stone and bones from small creatures.

"Madame Largo"

"Yes?"

"The creature is a Basilisk, if you see any movement close your eyes or…"

"Thank you Harry" she cut him off, well aware of what a basilisk was and grew more terrified.

She pocketed Lockhart's wand and turned to them.

"Since you two seem _incapable_ of remaining in once place as told then you need to follow me very closely, do not stray under any circumstances. Do you understand me?" She spoke seriously and the boys nodded in agreement.

"Very well, this way."

They walked through the cavern in search of any form of light or any clue and soon came across something unnerving.

It was huge, and was over fifty feet long and as wide as a tunnel.

Decaying greyish black and flaking in some parts Veronica reached out and touched it, it felt like stiff tissue paper.

"It's a snake skin." She whispered and Harry swallowed. "A basilisk skin. It's been here."

She began to stand and turned to them. "It's too dangerous, you three…"

She never got to finish as Lockhart, upon inspecting the skin, fell into a dead faint.

"Great" Veronica sighed and stalked over him. "Lockhart!"

She knelt down but suddenly he shot up and grabbed her shoulder, grappling with her desperately until he took his wand back from her pocket and shoved her off to the ground.

"This is the end of the line." He declared. "I can't have you three shooting your mouths off about me or the books, and I refuse to die in this place."

"Lockhart!" Veronica protested and drew her own wand. "Don't move!"

He turned on her and the stood face to face, wands drawn.

"It doesn't have to be like this Ronnie, I don't want to erase your memories, believe me I don't" He swallowed. "Let's just go back to the way things were huh? You and me, partners…what do you say?"

"Put down the wand Lockhart." She hissed and he sighed.

"Very well…Oblivia-!"

"Protego!" She countered instantly and the curse shot back at him and sent him flying through the air before colliding with the stone wall.

They didn't have time to revel in the attack before the cavern around them began to quake furiously and Veronica, hearing the o too familiar sound of cracking stone looked up before snatching Harry's cloak and pulling him back.

"Watch out!"

The rocks around them collapsed to the ground and enveloped them in a cloud of thick dust.

"Ron! Ron!"

"Mr. Wealsey are you okay?" Veronica called and rushed to the solid wall of stone that now barricaded them both from the others.

"I'm fine!"

Veronica looked around, "Harry you stay here and help Ron shift through the rock so we can get through. I am going to find your friend."

"But miss! I can help!" Harry protested and Veronica put her hands on his shoulders.

"Harry, you have done a wonderful Job! But it's time to leave this part to the adults, okay?" She cupped his face. "Stay here, please."

Harry reluctantly nodded and Veronica smiled. "I'll be back"

She paused only to summon her courage and send out a Patronus with a message she prayed someone would get soon. The silvery white Turtle dove shooting through the solid rock and through the dark cavern.

Removing her high heels so that she could move more freely, she left him to shift through the rock and with her wand drawn rushed into the darkness.

The chamber was vast, and winding, but she soon spotted light at the far end of a tunnel.

"Knox" she snuffed her wand and followed the light into a cavern filled with water and large, carved face of stone staring out from the walls.

In the center of the room she spotted something that made her heart race.

"Miss Weasley." She whispered and ran through the water on the floor to her, her footsteps splashing with each movement

She was pale as death, and everything around her seemed to be dulled of color and life. Her chest moved but it was small and weak and the pulse under her skin was only just detectable.

"Ginny, Ginny? Can you hear me?" She whispered and the girl did not respond or even move.

"No, she can't" a voice replied from behind her and Veronica whipped around to find a young man standing only a meter or two behind her.

He was handsome and dressed in clean Slytherin robes.

"Who are you?" she asked. "What are you doing down here?"

"I might ask you the same thing." He shot back smartly and looked her up and down with a certain level of disdain, it was obvious that she was not the one he had been expecting to show up.

"Young man, do you understand how dangerous it is down here?" She became strict and serious but the boy threw his head back and laughed as if he was hearing a marvelous joke.

"Only for you." He hissed with a sinister look in his eye. "I am not one of your precious students, do not thing you have any power here."

Veronica tried to place his face, or his voice, but she just couldn't

There was no way that this young man was a student at the school.

"Are you a ghost?" She asked and his smirked.

"Not quite. A memory, preserved long ago in a diary." He motioned to the black book in Ginny's hands.

Veronica shook her head, confused and terrified but also determined. "Look, you may be dead but I have to get her out of here alive."

She pocket her wand, knowing a ghost could not harm her, and knelt down to pick up Ginny but she froze, suddenly stiff and stationary in her position as if she were being held by some unnatural force.

"I can't let you do that." The boy smirked. "You see I need her here, as she grows weaker I get stronger."

"You're draining her." Veronica gasped. "You're killing her!"

"How astute you are" He noted mockingly and with a show of force, shoved her back and away from Ginny.

"You can't do this."

"But I am."

Veronica drew her wand and scowled. "Stupify!"

The spell shot but at the last moment it seemed to swerve just to miss him.

"I'll go get help." Veronica stepped back as he approached her, "You won't get away with this."

"You won't make it out the front gate." He smirked and turned to the large stone face carved in the wall. "The Basilisk always needs feeding."

Veronica was frozen with fear as he pointed at the face and began to hiss just as Harry had the mouth of the face began to open with a deafening grinding sound.

From the pitch blackness of the mouth slithered the most terrifying creature Veronica ever laid eyes upon and she look away quickly to avoid its gaze.

Without thinking of the boy or Ginny she whipped out and sprinted for the exit, tailed closely by the creature that snarled her heels.

Her heart was pounding, and her eyes were blurring but she kept making sharp turn after sharp turn hoping to stay ahead of it.

After one turn she pinned herself to the wall and waited from the creature to come.

The second its ugly scaly snout reared around the corner she closed her eyes and whipped out her wand.

" _INCENDIO!"_

A wall of violent flame hit the creature square in the face, blinding it and making it let out an ear-piercing, almost prehistoric wail and thrash around in the tunnel.

Its massive body slammed into the walls of the tunnel, making the ground shake and rocks fall around her as she Ran past the monster into the opposing tunnel, still rattled by the shrieking screech the monster let out.

She was lost in the labyrinthine maze of darkness until she spotted light at the end of one of the tunnels and darted for it as if it was the light of heaven itself, all the while aware of the movement once again behind her.

She reached the tunnel's end and had returned to the main chamber where the evil boy with the dark eyes still hovered over Ginny, somehow looking more real than ever, more there if that made any sense.

But beside Ginny she saw Harry Potter kneeling behind her, he must have followed her here.

"Potter!" she screamed and ran for them, "Run! Don't look back just run!" Harry looked up and suddenly looked away before scrambling in the opposite direction when he saw the monstrous creature in hot pursuit of his teacher.

He was fumbling with something, but Veronica couldn't see what as she scooped up Ginny and carried her with some difficulty, fueled mainly by sheer adrenaline.

But a second later Potter whipped around and, of all things, began to run _toward the creature_."

"Potter!" She yelled and set Ginny down and whipped out her wand. "Get back here!"

She darted for the boy but caught sight of the magnificent silver sword in his hands and stumbled a moment.

What the bloody hell?

But that stumble cost her speed and she was forced to watch in abject terror as the creature reared back with a mouth full of large, venom dripping teeth and lunged for the boy.

But as soon as it did the blade of the sword punctured the roof of the creature's mouth, and drove its tip right up through the top of its head.

Harry cried out as one of the long dagger like teeth pierced his arm but he dropped the sword as the monster began to thrash and writhe in furious death throws, roaring and shrieking until it collapsed on the floor.

Dead.

Veronica ran for Harry who was on the floor, pale from the fast acting venom in his bloodstream.

"It doesn't matter now" the Riddle declared triumphantly. "The process is nearly complete. In a few minutes Ginny will be dead, and I will cease to be a memory." He loomed over the woman as she cradled the boy gently.

"Lord Voldemort will return- very... much... alive!"

Veronica froze.

Holy God.

She understood now.

"It's a Horcrux." She gasped, her mind running back to every black magic book she ever read. The horrific art of making a Horcrux and what sacrifices it required.

And how to destroy one.

"Sorry, Harry." She whispered as she grasped the base of the fang buried in Harry's arm and jerked it out, making the boy cry out slightly.

"What are you doing?" Riddle asked, suddenly sounding nervous as the woman reached for the black book and eyed him.

Without a word she stabbed the cover of the book with the fang and Riddle cry out, double over in pain.

"Stop! NO!"

She stabbed it again, and again, and with each stab there came a burst of light from Riddle's artificial form until with one final motion he was gone and the book bled heavily with black, staining ink.

But it wasn't over yet, Harry was still dying.

"Potter, Potter look at me." She held his face. "Listen to my voice, can you hear me?"

He nodded weakly.

"Just keep listening to my voice I'm going to get you out of here." she spoke slowly and shoved her arms under him and lifted him up with a grunt.

"Harry!" Ginny, now fully awake and alive, ran over to them.

"Now is not the time Miss Weasley, we must hurry." Veronica informed her but a cry about them made her stop.

She looked up and saw, soaring above them, a vibrantly colored bird; a phoenix.

"Wait, it might not be too late." Veronica sat Harry down as the phoenix swooped down beside the boy.

Without a sound the bird crept over to Harry and, leaning over his arm, wept shimmering silver tears onto the wound.

It only took a few seconds for the healing process to begin and Veronica could have laughed with relief.

"Okay, okay." She nodded. "Okay you two, let's get going." She led them back through the tunnel back to the still barricaded tunnel.

"Mr. Weasely? Are you there?"

"I'm here! Are you all alright."

"Yes we're fine! Any progress?"

"No Ma'am"

"Right" Veronica sighed and thought. "I have an Idea. Eh Mr. Wealsey?"

"Yes ma'am"

"I'm going to need you to take Lockhart and move as far as you can away from the wall, can you do that? And quickly."

Veronica turned to Harry and Ginny, the latter whom had the phoenix resting on her shoulder, and motioned for them to step back.

"Okay, are you ready?"

"Yes Ma'am!"

Veronica pointed her wand at the middle of the wall and took a deep breath, "Reducto!"

The wall shuddered with a thunderous boom and began to cave in on itself, clearing a path way but only for a moment.

"Go, Go!" Veronica pushed the children through and only just made it out herself before watching the tunnel end collapse completely, blocking itself off for good.

"Everyone okay?" She looked over all of them

"I think so, except for maybe Lockhart." Ron pointed to the man who was still wondering around aimlessly.

"What's wrong with him?"

"The spell rebounded remember? He doesn't remember a thing, not even his own name."

Veronica gasped and swallowed.

She was _so_ fired.

"Right well, everybody hold on to each other tightly." She instructed as the phoenix latched onto her forearm. "We're going up."

And up they went, all hauled by the strength of the Phoenix to the top of the pit where they were met not only with Moaning Myrtle, but also Professor Dumbledore, Snape, Minerva, Madame Pomphrey, and the Minister of Magic himself.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir." Veronica swallowed and looked at the three children and one adult with the mind of a child.

"I can explain."


	22. She Knew

As the only competent adult on the expedition, Veronica was the one to take complete responsibility for the fact that two underage students were put in danger.

Under any other circumstances she would have been asked to resign immediately, and she would have willingly complied.

But considering that she was not on the Hogwarts payroll she was only given a slap on the wrists and a wink from Dumbledore's twinkling eye.

At least that was her official punishment.

But as she sat in the hospital wing, with Madame Pomphrey fluttering around her like a distressed hen, she knew she wasn't quite out of the woods yet.

Her feet, which had been wounded and cut by the rocks in the cavern, were smeared with a clear-ish ointment and wrapped tightly until her feet resembled socks. It hurt to walk unfortunately but pain potions took care of that.

The real hurt would come in the form a black clad man with a fiery look in his eye stalking into the hospital wing.

"Oh boy" Madame Pomphrey, who had heard the rumors about the potions master and the assistant teacher, muttered under her breath that she would be back in a moment to check her bandages and slipped out if the wing, but remained by the door to listen in.

"Be gentle, I'm bedridden" Veronica deadpanned as Severus eyed her with about fifty different conflicting emotions in his eye.

He looked over his shoulder to ensure that no one was watching before kneeling down to her level and, to Veronica's initial shock, embraced her tightly.

It wasn't a hug exactly, more like he needed to prove to himself that she was actually there and not just a figment of his imagination.

"Do you have _any_ idea how god damn _worried_ I was about you?" He hissed but there was genuine concern in it.

"Severus" she breathed, unsure what to say.

"Shut up, let me finish" he pulled away, now glaring. "What the hell were you thinking going down there with two students and _Lockhart_ of all people?! You couldn't have _died_! Do you understand that?"

His hands were still on her shoulders but gripped them tightly as if he wanted to shake her.

"Eh…" she blushed hard and offered sheepishly. "But I didn't?"

He paused, not expecting such a blithe response before chuckling a little.

"No, thank God."

Veronica looked down with a smile then frowned a little at the sight of deep redness on the white bit of Severus's left sleeve.

"What's this?" She touched his arm but he instinctively pull away.

"Oh, I uh…I went down in the chamber after it was clear, I wanted to see if we could find anything..." he moved the arm away from her. "I just cut it that's all. It's fine."

But still the woman frowned and took a small jar of the ointment. "Here, let me see."

"No."

"Severus, if it's on your arm it could very easily get infected and it looks like it's still bleeding." She protested.

"It's fine"

"Humor me."

"No." His voice was hard and harsh suddenly, making her furrow her brow tightly.

"Severus…"

"I must go."

Before she could say more he was out the door, still gripping his left arm tightly.

"Severus!" Veronica stood but hiss was dull pain spread on the soft bottoms of her feet. Madame Pomphrey returned and re-wrapped her feet with clean gauze and dosed her with a weak pain potion.

As soon as she was cleared to leave, under orders to avoid high heels for a while, she made directly for the dungeons.

"Yes?"

"Bind that arm yet?" she asked bluntly as he opened the door and he frowned deeply.

"Drop it Veronica."

"It's just a question."

He sighed and let her in slowly. "Yes I did, if you must know."

"Good." She nodded. "I'm not here about the arm, Severus. I'm here because I have to tell you something, something I've already told Dumbledore."

"Yes?" He asked, now much more relaxed now that she wasn't going to press the issue with his arm.

"When I was down there, and Tom Riddle was nearly alive again. I realized how he did it…and I am afraid he is going to do it again somehow."

Severus whipped around.

"What are you talking about?"

"It was a Horcrux, the book." She whispered. "He stored part of his soul in the book and used it to drain the life out of who ever got close with it."

"And you destroyed it."

"Yes" she nodded. "I did, but you and I both know that when someone makes a Horcrux, they hardly ever make just one."

Severus swallowed, suddenly wishing she had just stuck with the arm issue. "You don't think he's gone."

She eyed him carefully, more serious than she had been in a long time.

"I don't think he ever really left."

Severus sat at his desk and swallowed hard before starting to grade papers as if the issue meant nothing at all to him.

"Why…why are you telling me this?"

Veronica closed her eyes and stretched her neck. "Did I ever tell you that before I worked for Lockhart I worked at the Ministry?"

"You've mentioned it"

"It was a desk job, when I wasn't running messages I was organizing old court records that someone never got around to." She approached the desk and sat across from him. "A few of them were death eater trials, from just after the dark lord was defeated. "

Severus froze, the scratch of his pen stopping instantly.

"I _know_ why you didn't want me to look at your left arm Severus. I didn't realize it at the time, I guess I had forgotten, and I'm sorry."

He looked up slightly, an entirely new look in his eye. "You…you forgot?" he whispered and looked away. "You knew?"

"Yes, I knew. The first day I kept wondering why your name was so familiar until I finally remembered reading it on a court transcript"

Severus shot up, he couldn't hear any more of this.

He had worked so hard to keep it from her, from everyone.

Now some ancient court case she happened to have read years ago comes up and he might as well open the door for her because there was no way she would willingly remain here now.

"Severus?"

"What do you want me to say?" he hissed.

"Nothing, you don't have to say anything If you don't wish to." She shrugged and He growled.

"Then why bring it up?!" he barked and she flinched a little.

"Because I know you're still scared." She whispered. "But you don't have to be, not around me anyways."

He scoffed. "What makes you think _you_ shouldn't be scared around _me_?"

She smiled a little. "What were you, sixteen? Seventeen?" she shook her head. "I don't care what the law says, a person is hardly an adult at that age, let alone a dangerous criminal."

Severus couldn't say anything, he was too stunned, ashamed, and confused to say anything at the moment.

Veronica understood this, and stood up and rounded the table to him. "You've bandaged your arm incorrectly, I can see the lumps under your sleeve."

Carefully she reached for his arm and waited for him to pull away and order her out of the office but he didn't, he remained still as a stone statue.

Gently she unbuttoned his cuffs and pulled up the black sleeve of his jacket then the white sleeve of his shirt to reveal hasty and ill aligned bandages.

"Honestly, thank God you weren't a healer" she shook her head with a tsk and began to unwrap them carefully.

The cut wasn't too deep but it was wide and spanned just to the right of a faded blackish grey dark mark that she made of a point of ignoring.

"Oh that's not too bad" she muttered and reaching into her pocket, she had snatched the ointment jar from the hospital wing.

Severus watched her work with awe, she had looked at it yes but only a second and shrugged as if it were nothing at all.

The only visual reminder of the worst mistake he had ever made in his life, and she hadn't even given it a second glance.

"This will sting"

He blinked, "what?"

She looked up at him. "I said this is going to sting"

He didn't even notice.

"I suppose I should have told you I knew earlier, but I wasn't sure how to go about it." She shrugged and he had to pause before he registers she had said something.

"I only told you now because I got so sick and tired you tip toeing around the subject when I brought up the dark arts."

He couldn't help but chuckle a little at the face she pulled as she tightened the fresh bandages and patted his forearm.

"There, good as new"

"Veronica?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you doing this?"

She looked up at him as she rose from the ground and smiled. "Because no one should be judged by the actions of their past."

Severus nodded slowly, but entirely sure if he agreed with the sentiment but would not argue.

"Well, I guess I had better start tending to that paperwork St. Mungo's sent over." She sighed and moved to leave but He stopped her quickly.

"Your feet must be in agony."

She looked down with a grimace the potions weren't doing much. "You're not wrong"

He sighed and pointed at the chair, "Sit, you've been through hell. I'll go get them for you."

"Oh you don't have to do that." She protested and he stood nonetheless.

"No one said I had to, but I'm doing it any way. Now sit."

She obeyed reluctantly and smiled as he left.

At least he wasn't mad that she knew his secret the whole time.

Or he was and he just wasn't showing it.

Either way, she was glad he knew now.

In truth she hadn't been positive it was true until he refused to let her fix his arm. That was her test.

Sure she had read the court scripts but they weren't always reliable.

But she didn't care, she had always been a firm believer in second chances. Lord knows she's needed a few in the past.

Sitting in the chair by the fire it struck her just how tired she actually was.

The warmth of the flames sedated her until in just a few short moments she was lulled into a deep sleep.

Severus managed to find the paperwork and return swiftly but when he entered he paused.

Veronica had managed to curl herself into the chair and fall asleep almost instantly.

Awkwardly he pondered his options.

Let her sleep and carry on with his business knowing full and well she would be cramped and sore when she awoke.

Or wake her up himself.

He nearly went through with the second choice until she let out a low whine and her face pursed into an expression of displeasure.

She breathed softly and it almost sounded like whispered words.

He remained silent, not even daring to move as her eyes tightened and she grunted.

"Vince…Vince come on….Where are you?" She whimpered. "We have to go home now…we have to…" She cut off and sucked in a breath sharply.

Frozen as stone Veronica suddenly began to sniffle which turned into quiet sobs. It was a pitiful sound to hear and even more so to watch.

"Veronica" Severus approached her carefully, "Veronica wake up."

He knelt by the chair and brushed her arm gently. "Veronica"

She whined and tossed her head to the side, "Vince, Vince…"

"Veronica!"

She jerked awake instantly with a gasp. Her brown eyes bewildered for a moment until she looked at him and squinted.

"Severus?" She swallowed and sat up slowly as if in a daze. "I…I'm sorry. I must have fallen asleep."

She began to stand but he pushed her back down gently. "I uh…" Severus pondered whether or not to bring up what she spoke of in her sleep but instead motioned to the stack of papers in his hand. "I brought the paperwork."

"Oh… thank you Severus, I uh…I think I had better go" She forced herself up but hissed in pain as the potion wore off as her feet began to sting and ache horribly. "I ought to…"

"You ought to sit down" He said firmly and stood to retrieve a much stronger pain potion from the cupboard.

"I was talking in my sleep, wasn't I?" Veronica whispered suddenly and Severus paused mid-reach before sighing and grabbing the bottle.

"Yes, you were."

She sighed and nodded. "Did I say a name?"

"Vince"

She nodded and blushed heatedly. "Please don't ask me Severus, not right now"

He grunted and handed her the glass vial silently. "Drink, the paperwork can wait until the morning. You need to sleep."

Veronica smile and down the bitter potion quickly. "Thank you."

"If you like I can give you a potion to keep the dreams away." He offered quietly, recalling times he himself made use of the elixir he brewed to full strength and adjusted the recipe to make it even stronger.

At this point it was basically a temporary draught of the living death.

But boy, did it work.

"I…I think I'll be okay." Veronica whispered, still horribly embarrassed he had heard her.

She had suffered the nightmares for years, but they only came about once a month.

But it was always the same.

"I should go, I have to clear out Lockhart's classroom in the morning" She stood after the pain potion took effect and was halfway out the door and Severus stepped forward quickly, pressing a glass vial into her palm.

"Only take it when you're in bed." He muttered quickly before closing the door on her so she couldn't protest.

She looked down at the powerful sleeping potion and sighed with a small smile.

Why was he always making sure she slept?


	23. An Unsure Future

The next morning Veronica had everything of Lockhart's packed and moved out.

With Lockhart having lost his mind she was afraid she would be out of a job but in fact it was the exact opposite.

As it would turn out Lockhart _did_ file at least one piece of official paper work in his life. The one that officially made Veronica his manager and therefore put her in charge of everything having to do with his brand.

And that does mean _everything._

In the event he was unable to manage his own accounts Veronica would take over in his stead while keeping him updated on progress.

In short, as the team of lawyers put it, Veronica is basically Lockhart 2.0.

Twice as intelligent, and five times the competency.

"Holy Shit." Severus whispered when she broke the news. "I don't know much about the corporate ladder but I'm pretty sure you just skipped a few rungs."

"I'm not sure if I can do this, I mean this could mean way more work than I can handle."

"It's the exact same work load you've been dealing with for months, only now you can officially give yourself a decent raise." Severus insisted.

"I just don't feel right about this, I mean it came at another person's expense." Veronica muttered as she looked around the empty classroom.

"I suppose this is sort of a ratty question" she sighed and eyed him. "But are you going to apply for the Defense position again?"

He grimaced but nodded. "I guess it's force of habit at this point." He confessed, "I keep hoping maybe the old man will have a change of heart."

"Well, here's hoping." She nodded and eyeballed the paperwork in front of her. Lockhart's commitment papers to St. Mungo's. "You know, I actually feel sorry for the guy."

"What are your plans on the whole Lockhart being a fraud thing?" He inquired. "Because I really think that could only turn out the worse for you"

"But don't you think I should, I don't know, honor integrity and that sort of thing?" She thought.

Severus scoffed. "Okay, I think if you're going to be in charge of a brand you might want to learn to loosen your morals a bit." Veronica hummed, unsure if she could pull something like that off.

"You know…" Severus thought. "This may be just what you need, you did say you wanted to be a writer."

"Well I was hoping I could work for it by my own merit"

"Awe, your hopelessly idealistic views are almost endearing." He teased and leaned a little when she tossed a ball of crumpled paper at him. "Look, just take it as you get it and make the best of the situation."

"But what about all the dues you have to pay? Writers are supposed to suffer for their art." Veronica pointed out and Severus scoffed.

"You worked for Lockhart for three years, you've paid your dues and then some." He smirked. "Besides, who's to say you can't suffer later. If you're half as stubborn with publishers as you are with me…"

"I am not stubborn! With you or anyone!" Veronica snapped in protest, half laughing.

"Yeah, okay." Severus muttered unconvincingly.

After the fact that she had legitimately almost _died_ down in that Chamber set in fully, Veronica decided it was time she actually did something with her life.

Meanwhile Severus was trying to convince himself that her presence in the school would not be missed. The niche she had carved out for herself would surely fill back up once she was gone, it would be as if it never happened.

He couldn't decide if he was happy about that or not.

"Excuse me?" A voice piped and Veronica turned to find a small house Elf holding a large envelope that seemed to be half its size.

"Yes?"

"Headmaster Dumbledore said to give this to you Miss." The elf handed her the large envelope and Veronica nodded.

"Thank you very much." She took the parcel and the elf popped off as she ripped the glue seal.

"What's that?"

"It's from the accountant, it's everything concerning Lockhart's house and property." Veronica sighed, trying to figure out what to do with it now that the owner was institutionalized.

Severus eyed the envelope and tilted his head slightly to read the name on the corner of the yellow paper. "V Weathers." He squinted.

"What?" Veronica's voice seemed the clench as she looked at the parcel. "That's uh…I guess they just forgot to change my name in the registry." She excused halfheartedly and Severus blinked.

"A Maiden name? I didn't know you're married. You don't wear a ring."

Veronica's knuckled popped and she sighed. "I uh…I was married. For a short while, I went back to my maiden name after it ended."

"Oh" Severus shifted slightly, "I'm sorry to hear that, divorce?"

"No." Veronica swallowed. "He uh…my husband died, about eight years ago." She confessed. "That was um…t-that was the Vince you heard when I was sleeping…Vincent."

Severus froze, not expecting the sudden confession of truth and now very sorry he brought it up. "Oh, I'm sorry." He shifted his gaze away to the corner of the room. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright, it was a long time ago." She pushed away the subject as if it burned her. She didn't like to think about Vincent.

Sure she kept his picture in her wallet.

And his wedding ring in her jewelry box.

But she didn't like to think on it too hard, not anymore. He was dead and she had had her time to grieve and recover.

"I…don't mean to pry." Severus touched the subject again, half terrified that she may snap at him and seal herself up. "But how did…you know. How did it happen?"

Veronica sighed and sat down across from him. "Well I know about your dirty secret, I suppose you deserve to know a bit of mine." She conceded. "Vincent died about a year after we were married. He was murdered one evening when he took me out to dinner for our anniversary."

She paused and pulled out her long, slim wallet and removed an aged photo from a plastic picture slip and slid it across the table to him.

Veronica looked barely twenty in the picture, and her long brown hair was chopped to the middle of her neck. She wore a light, flowery dress and a denim jacket

She hung on the arm of a much larger man with skin as dark as coffee grounds, with large dark eyes and a large goofy grin as he had his large arm wrapped around Veronica's petite shoulders. He wore a grey shirt and a red vest with a pair of blue jeans and a beanie plopped on his head.

They stood together with matching grins in front of a wooden gazeebo.

"That was taken two days before he died, He hated having pictures taken of him." She smiled fondly as her coworker analyzed the picture.

Severus noted how young she looked in the picture, and how broad her smile was. The back of the picture read _February 12_ _th_ _1984._

"I'm sorry you had to suffer that." He spoke sincerely, and Veronica shrugged.

"Thank you…but it wasn't your fault. I mean, we knew it wasn't exactly looked kindly upon, you know? Someone like him and someone like me, a lot of people didn't approve. But that didn't stop us."

Severus knew she wouldn't say it out right, but he picked up on her meaning.

She was white. Vincent was black. People were ignorant and angry.

Severus frowned and blinked a few times, staring at the dead man's face as if he had seen him before.

He knew he had, but he didn't know where.

"I'm…I'm sorry. But…I think I've seen him. Somehow." He thought in a distracted tone. Veronica frown and shrugged. "It's possible, but Vincent was a muggle I don't think it would have been in the Daily Prophet."

"No, no, not in a picture. I mean I have _seen_ him before." Severus sighed and pushed the picture back to her and Veronica placed it in her wallet. "Damn."

"Well, don't worry about it. It was a long time ago." Veronica shook it off. "Come on. We're alive, within a few hours all those students will be well, and I have a mountain of paper work to go through. So let's just take a few minutes to relax."

"Agreed"

No sooner had Veronica nodded firmly did a paper airplane message come zooming through the air and land right in front of Veronica.

"Of course." She sighed and unfolded the paper. "Oh surprise, surprise. Dumbledore wants to talk to me again."

"Figures" Severus nodded and stood. "I might as well go help Madame Pomphrey treat the students then."

"It _is_ almost summer right?" Veronica whimpered and Severus scoffed

"You act as if that means we get a break." He muttered and Veronica groaned.

She trudged to Dumbledore's office to find Harry Potter there and Mr. Malfoy who looked properly chagrinned.

"You wanted to see me sir?"

"Ah yes, Ms. Largo. I trust you know Mr. Malfoy?"

Veronica eyed the man with barely hidden distaste as he held her in a similar regard.

"We've been acquainted." Veronica confirmed.

"Yes well. We were just approaching the subject of this…" The man held up the journal Veronica had stabbed in the chamber which now had a large, ugly puncture in the cover.

"Oh" Veronica felt her blood run cold when she saw it. "Yes sir."

"Mr. Potter, You are free to go" Dumbledore dismissed the young boy who left quickly before the headmaster turned to Mr. Malfoy. "Lucius, I wonder if you wouldn't mind us carrying on this conversation at a later date?"

The man was stiff and full of rage but left quickly, kicking his House elf along the way and the poor thing stumbled with a squeal before scrambling after his master.

"Do sit down Veronica." Dumbledore nodded and Veronica obeyed as the old man eyed the journal seriously. "I trust you know what this is?" He inquired and Veronica sighed.

"I believe I do, but I hope I am wrong."

"Are you well acquainted with the practice of the Dark Arts, Veronica?" He asked, knowing the answer and she nodded without shame.

"A little."

"Did the Dark Lord say anything to you in the Chamber, anything I should know about?"

Veronica nodded and swallowed, she could remember everything about that night. "He said that as Ginny grew weaker, he grew stronger, and that he was a memory preserved for fifty years. I realized what it was almost too late."

"How did you destroy it?"

"I stabbed it with a basilisk fang." Veronica explained.

"How did you know that would work?"

"Honestly?" Veronica sighed. "I didn't know, all I knew was I had two kids dying and the possibility of one of the worst Dark Wizards in the world returning in front of me…I panicked."

Dumbledore nodded, she had never seen him looking so severe but he had good reason to be. "Veronica, I must be frank with you. If what you have said is true, and there is more than one Horcrux out there, I fear that you will not be safe for long. If he returns he will remember you, and what you have done."

"I understand Headmaster." Veronica nodded solemnly

"I would be careful whom you surround yourself with, not just for your own sake but for those you care for. If you feel you are ever in danger, I urge you to contact me"

Veronica felt a knot in her stomach and nodded. "Thank you sir, but I think for the time being I will be safe." She assured him and the old man nodded and stood.

"Then my Dear." He smiled and offered her his hand as she stood. "I can only wish you good luck. I think you will be well missed around here"

Veronica smiled and shook his hand. "Thank you Sir. I feel quite the same."

Veronica left the office and wandered to the empty courtyard where the sun was shining brightly, warming the grass and stone fixtures.

With a light sigh she sat on a stone bench and closed her eyes, savoring the first calm moment in two days.

She found herself wondering what it would take for her to just stop thinking for a little while, to be completely and totally numb from the brainstem up for just an hour.

However she figured to obtain such total serenity would require either illegal drugs or a coma.

She wasn't sure if she really wanted to take over Lockhart's empire of fraudulent literature. But it was a better alternative to unemployment.

But suppose the secret somehow got out. With Lockhart no longer competent she would be fully to blame.

Not to mention that fact that if she was correct about the horcruxes she or anyone she cared about could be in serious danger at any time. The Dark Lord may have not returned but a few lunatic vigilantes were not out of the question.

It couldn't hurt to lay low for a while, out of the media eye and all that.

She remained in the sun lit courtyard until the warmth of the sun began to lose its soothing effect and she sighed before wondering back to the classroom.

It was almost dinner time and the petrified students should be coming to right about now. It was the Farewell Feast, so she would have to attend.

She adjusted her red blazer and began to make for the Hall. It seemed students had already begun to wake up and move around and a few even were roaming the halls.

"Hello Madame Largo" Percy Weasley was in a particularly good mood with a ravenclaw girl by his side who had just been cured.

"Good Evening Mr. Weasley." She smiled and the boy looked around.

"I uh, I know we're not really supposed to talk about what happened. But I wanted to thank you for saving my sister. Harry told me about it."

"You don't have to thank me Mr. Weasley." She assured him and left before he could speak more. It didn't feel right being thanked for something anyone would have done.

Despite the cheer in the air Veronica found herself feeling quite gloomy, at least at Hogwarts she knew what she needed to do. Tomorrow she would be diving into a world of unpredictability and it wasn't pretty.

"You've got your enigmatic face on" Severus noted at the head table as Veronica struggled not to fidget. "What is your mood I wonder?"

Veronica swallowed and forced on a strained smile. "Pure delight."

"You're a bad liar."

"I know. I was just seeing if you'd believe me."

Severus suppressed a smile, "You've finally moved up in your career, you have an unlimited field of opportunity a head of you, and you just saved two children's lives and stopped the potential rise of a Dark Wizard." He took a sip from his goblet before continuing. "And yet are you still discontent, I'm starting to think you're just hungry out of habit."

"I count myself lucky. But things have changed" She whispered. "I have no stability now. Before all of this I knew what I was doing, and what I was going to do. Now I know next to nothing, and what I _do_ know scares the living hell out of me."

Severus thought and nodded. "You're very wise to be so."

Veronica waited for him to continue and eyed him expectantly. "And…?"

"And what?"

"I was hoping for a little advice, or words of encouragement"

He sighed. "You've made an extremely powerful enemy and at the same time put yourself in a sudden position of power you don't know how to handle…what advice or encouragement can I give?"

Veronica sighed and nodded, he had no more information that she. What help could he be?

"I can, however, put you into contact with someone who can help." He stated and Veronica scoffed incredulously.

"What, you didn't think I would leave a doe eyed thing like you to the wolves no did you?" He smirked and passed her a slip of paper with a name and address on it.

"I wonder sometimes." She muttered. "Who is this?"

"Someone who owes me a favor, write them and they'll set you on the right path." He instructed her. "If it makes you feel any better, Lockhart's absence has put me at a disadvantage as well."

"Oh? How so?"

"Half of our conversations was complaining about him, plus he was the one that told me half of what I know of you. Now I actually have to get to know you." He half joked and Veronica smirked.

"Awe, poor lamb." She teased and looked out over the crowd. "You know, I will miss this."

"And it will miss you."

"Will you?"

"Everyone will"

She smiled. "Is that your impersonal way of saying 'Yes Veronica, I will miss you'?"

Severus grumbled and shrugged but something in his tone gave him away.

"Awe" Veronica leaned back and gazed at him with laughing eyes. "Tin man, you _do_ have a heart!"

"Let it _go_ " He grumbled, growing increasingly embarrassed and glanced away.

"Oh fine." She sighed. "You don't have to say it, but I want it on the record that _I'll_ miss _you_ "

"Dually noted" He acknowledged coolly and she smiled.

"Good"


	24. Three Months Later

_Hey Guys Sorry I haven't been updating as much but I've been really stressed out recently so I'm trying to get myself together. But here's the newest chapter and thank you to everyone who has commented!_

 ** _Three Months Later_**

As the interview finally ended at least a dozen pictures were taken before Veronica could freely go.

Veronica sat in the soft chair with her legs crossed tightly and a contemplative look on her face.

The photographer snapped a picture with a blinding flash that captured the image of a woman that looked different than she had three months ago.

In a sharp cyan suit dress and cream heels, Veronica had taken her new position as the manager of a literary empire in stride.

The first month was difficult, she was soft spoken and feared taking the leaps Lockhart had before her but soon she became fed up with people not taking her seriously.

She turned to the person Severus had recommended her to and to her surprise she found it be the none other than Lucius Malfoy himself. Veronica was shocked but quickly learned that it wasn't just money that got Malfoy where he was today.

It was a cold hard skill for business as well as a certain charm and savvy he was willing to teach Veronica at his old school mate's behest.

He was a hard teacher, that's for sure.

When she told him she didn't want to be mean or step on people he laughed, or rather it seemed like a laugh in a cruel sort of way.

But in two months Lucius Malfoy took a soft spoken, mousey, assistant and turned her into a sharp tongued, keen eyed business woman.

The final thing to change was her look.

"You look like a teenager" He said bluntly, "Big eyes, pastel colors, long curls. You look like a nursery teacher. You need to look _tough_ , like you mean _business_ "

"But I don't know how to look tough." Veronica pointed out and He supplied a business card swiftly.

"Go to this address this afternoon and tell them Lucius Malfoy sent you, I will make a call."

So Veronica obeyed and found it to be a large, stylish looking salon which Narcissa Malfoy frequented. She entered the salon and felt immediately out of place, everything was sleek and polished in varying shades of Black and White.

She approached the counter for find a beautiful woman sitting there impatiently.

"Uh, excuse me." Veronica nearly whispered, as if afraid to speak to loudly in such a place. "But Lucius Malfoy sent me here, and I…"

"Come with me." The woman stood instantly at the familiar name. She had a thick eastern European accent and legs that seemed to go on for miles. She led the nervous woman to a back room that contained a black leather couch and white walls and a white desk with a black chair.

"Wait here" was all the receptionist said and Veronica sat on the edge of the couch slowly and waited for what seemed like forever until the door opened again and in swept a youngish man with spiked black hair and a styled goatee.

He wore a black suit with a red tight that stood out like a traffic light and he smiled at her like a predator eyeing a piece of meat.

"You must be Veronica." He welcomed her and outstretched his hand, which she stood to shake. "Mr. Malfoy has informed me that _you_ are my new best friend."

"I uh…He didn't really tell me much of anything." Veronica confessed and the man laughed.

"Of course, please sit down and we will speak" He motioned for her to sit again and she did as he sat behind the desk. "I am Lealand Cognac. I am the stylist for many society women. I understand you're in a bit of a pickle, yes?"

Veronica shrugged. "I…I guess I don't look "tough". Like a business woman."

Lealand shook his head, taking in her cream skirt and pale blue blouse. "No, you do not. But you shall. _But!_ You must promise to do exactly as I say, yes?"

"Oh yes!" Veronica nodded firmly. "Whatever you say…I just need help."

Lealand smiled, baring all of his blindingly white teeth. "Perfect…now about your hair"

At the end of their session, Veronica walked out with eyebrows shaped and plucked to perfection, makeup sharper than a scalpel, and hair that was about three shades darker and chopped to her shoulder blades and curled.

"I will come by tomorrow and we will address your wardrobe, okay?"

"Okay." Veronica nodded and began to walk home, feeling rather uncertain about how this was going to work out for her.

She didn't feel like herself, and part of her mind feared that along the way of this adventure she might just get a bit lost.

She returned to her new apartment, which was much nicer than the one she had been living in and sighed. Shrugging off her purse and kicking off her shoes she entered the kitchen and found two letters on the table.

One was from Severus, and it made her smile for the first time that day.

She ripped open the envelope and scanned the note. He was already preparing for the new school year. He had been following all articles in the Prophet about her and Lockhart and heard from Lucius how well she had been doing.

"Could have fooled me" She muttered and continued to read.

As soon as she finished the note she pulled out a sheet of paper to quickly reply.

She wanted to see him before the new school year. Perhaps they could meet somewhere?

She sent the note off with the tawny barn owl that sat in the back room snoozing and looked around.

She felt her hair, noticing how light her head felt now that there wasn't four feet of hair weighing it down.

The second letter she picked up was from the Daily Prophet headquarters and it was from Rita Skeeter. She wanted an interview with her.

Veronica groaned and rolled her eyes but knew she had to cave in, with Lockhart no longer writing the only thing keeping sales going was publicity. So she scheduled the interview for next week and waited for the owl to return so she could send that one out to.

To her surprise the Owl did return late that evening just as she was preparing to go to bed with a letter in its grip.

"Hey there, whatcha got?" she retrieved the letter and eyed the other she intended to send out. "One more trip boy." She sent him off again and began to open the new letter.

The message was short this time, as was his habit.

"The Leaky Cauldron, 6 pm, tomorrow evening."

It wasn't a question, making it clear that was the only time he would be able to make it.

Veronica wasn't surprised to find she missed the grouchy old school teacher and wondered if he missed her as well.

She was terribly Lonely, she had gotten used to having Lockhart around and she missed getting to talk to someone as smart as Severus every day.

Now it was just a blur of faces, publishers, retailers, and reporters.

Thunder rolled outside and Veronica sighed and moved to close the window. "First it's blazing out there, now it's raining make up your mind." She muttered under her breath and began to close the window before pausing.

She looked out to the pavement just outside the building within eye sight was a large black dog sitting patiently. It seemed to stare at her intensely, sending a shiver up her spine.

"Shoo" she whispered, as if it as even possible for it to hear her at this range. "Go on, shoo. Get out of the rain."

The dog stood and stretched with a yawn, and to her surprise, began to trot over to the building and sat under her window.

"No! Go one, shoo. Get going." She hissed but it sat there and wagged its ragged tail.

The rain began to fall harder and the dog stared up at her with big brown eyes.

Something inside her began to tug and twist and with a growl she closed the window. "I must be out of my mind." She muttered and trotted down the stairs to the back door of the building.

It couldn't hurt to let the poor thing in for just one night.

She opened the fire escape door and eyed the large black mutt. Damn her for being an animal lover, she thought and rushed out into the pouring rain. "Come on" she sighed and instantly the dog was by her side.

She tried to rush for the door but it didn't take long for her to become soaked to the skin.

The dog shook rain off its coat and splattered her skirt. "Well that's a fine thank you." She muttered and tiptoed down the hall and let the dog slip into her flat.

"Now don't get too comfortable, it's just for the night." She told him, as if he could understand her as he turned in circles before laying on the carpet.

"Me and my soft heart" She sighed and locked the apartment door before stripping off her soaked blouse. Perks of living alone, she didn't really have to mind walking around the house mostly naked.

She tossed her blouse in the tall basket in the hall along with her cream skirt that was now spotted with mud. In just her nylon thigh highs and underwear she turned the tv on to the news channel and picked up the Evening Prophet from the counter.

On the front cover once again was a disturbing picture of the raving mad man Sirius Black, who had escaped Azkaban Prison. A seemingly impossible feat.

She couldn't stand to stare at the picture and flipped it over on the table face down, uncomfortable being half dressed with even a picture of the murderer in the room.

Behind her she heard the dog whine and she sighed with a small smile. "You're probably hungry huh?" she knelt down to the Dog's level and scratched his scraggy face. He seemed well trained and affectionate, so he was probably someone's pet that slipped his leash.

"Well I'll see what I can spare for you." She made for the kitchen and filled a plastic Tupperware bowl with water and set it on the floor before ravaging through left overs in the fridge.

"Here" She pulled the lid off a bowl of old Chicken soup. "Chow down."

The dog did just that, practically scarfing down the food. "Easy, easy, don't get sick" she urged him and shook her head.

She stood and made for the bed room, stripping off her nylons and under garments and pulling on a long cotton robe.

She paused as she heard a low growl in the main room and jogged out to see what the problem was.

The dog had a piece of paper between his paws and Veronica took it from with a scolding tone. "Hey! No, give that here." She tutted and took the paper.

It was Severus's first letter and she smiled a little. "Where'd you get this huh? Nosy." She scratched behind the dog's ears. The dog whined a little and sniffed the paper again but she held it out of his reach.

She set the letter on the table and thought about tomorrow. "6 pm, the leaky cauldron" she whispered and sat on the ground with the dog. "We'll have to find you someplace to stay before then huh? Who knows maybe Severus is a dog person."

The mutt growled lowly and Veronica blinked in surprise before standing up slowly. "Well, I'll make a few phone calls in the morning. You can stay for the night."

She made for the bed room and removed her daily make up and mussed her hair again, trying to get used to the new color and style.

Tomorrow morning at eight Lealand would be coming around to tear apart her wardrobe.

Good God.


	25. And So it Continues

**_This Chapter will be extra-long for your enjoyment_**

"Does this look okay?"

Veronica stood in front of her mirror and adjusted her dress nervously.

Lealand, who sat on the couch, hummed contemplatively and looked her up and down.

"I mean you don't think it's too…provocative. Do you? I mean we're just friends." Veronica assured him and Lealand raised an eyebrow.

"If you're just friends why are you so worried about looking good?"

"Well…I don't know." Veronica shrugged. "Did you like the red dress better? I think the red dress looked better."

After Lealand had completely and totally ravaged Veronica's closet that morning he caught a passing comment of her going out that night and said it would be perfect practice.

Meanwhile Veronica failed to find a home for the Dog, whom she had taken to just calling "Dog" but since he hadn't made any messes she figured it might be safe just to keep him here while she was out.

"I liked the green one, actually." Lealand held up the forest green thin slip dress and Veronica thought before nodding.

"Alright," she agreed and slipped the dress on in the bed room. As she began to exit, she found Dog sitting outside her door.

"Hey there fella" she smiled and scratched his head. "What do you think?"

The dog stared at her silently, but she sensed a hint of disapproval in his dark eyes. But that was ridiculous.

"Alright, move dog." She took a few steps forward but he stood before her firmly, blocking her path down the hall. "Come on, move" she grunted and tried to side step him but he moved with her. " _Move"_ she sighed and pushed past the dog.

She reentered the living room and modeled the dress for Lealand who nodded with approval. "Very nice. I'm sure he'll be impressed."

"I'm not trying to impress him."

"Yeah, okay." The man scoffed.

Veronica rolled her eyes and glanced at the clock. "It's five fifty already?" She looked at Lealand's watch to make sure and snatched up her purse and heels.

"I'll show myself out, you kids have fun" Lealand waved her off as she apparated with a snap into the middle of Diagon Alley, which thankfully wasn't all that crowded.

Thanks to her proficiency in high heels she was able to make it to the Leaky Cauldron just as the clock struck 6. Severus didn't say exactly where to meet him so she sat at the bar casually while watching the door.

When he did enter she was more than a little stunned.

She had never seen him out of his black coat before, or really out of the color black at all. But there he was, scanning the crowd curiously in a dark grey button up and black trousers.

After shaking herself she slid off the stool and approached him smoothly. "Hello there stranger."

He glanced at her a second, not recognizing her until he took a second look and blink. "Oh, Veronica…your hair."

Her hand instantly flew to her locks. "You hate it."

"No, no, it looks wonderful. I just was not expecting it." He assured her hastily and she smiled.

"Thanks." Veronica didn't realize how much she enjoyed being around Severus again. "Listen I know this little place by my building that's pretty private if you want…I mean since I know you're not big on crowds and…"

Severus nodded. "That sounds perfect, there's actually something I wanted to talk to you about."

Veronica nodded and took his arm hesitantly, eyeing him to make sure it was okay before thinking hard and apparating them both to a small coffee house about a mile away from her building.

They settled at a small table in the back, "you're looking well" she noted shyly. "If I'm being honest I've missed you these past months."

Severus's lip twitched at the confession but he also shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to return the sentiment.

"You're looking…lovely as well." He spat out quickly. "But I'm afraid what I have to say may dampen the mood a bit, and it can't wait."

Veronica heard a serious tone in his voice and slowly reached across the table to touch his hand. "Severus, whatever you have to say I can take."

He breathed. "I trust you've seen the papers, about Sirius Black."

Veronica nodded. "Yeah, He's out. But the Ministry'll catch him won't they."

"Hopefully but…I'm worried." He confessed. "I'm worried for you. With everything they said he's done, and who his family was connected to. I'm afraid you may be in danger."

Veronica's brow furrowed, she hadn't considered she would be in any real danger with Black.

"You think? I, well I hadn't really thought about it." She blinked. "I'm sure I'll be fine, I mean it's not like Black could know about last year could he?"

"An incident report was filed at the ministry, but who knows." Severus stiffened. "I just don't want to see you in any danger."

Veronica's heart twanged and she rubbed his much larger hand. "I'll be alright, with all the press around me I don't think he'd try anything." She assured him. "Plus I found this dog last night, he's pretty big. If I can't find his owner I may keep him as a guard dog."

Severus winced.

He didn't like dogs, well most dogs anyway. Fang was alright, he guessed.

But if the howling, drooling beast could provide some security he wouldn't protest at all.

"I promise I'll be careful." She guaranteed him. "On the happier subjects. I've started writing again. I even had a few shorts published in some magazines."

"That's wonderful, I told you this could be your new start." He smirked.

"Well, don't pop the champagne yet." She rolled her eyes. "I've submitted a book of short stories to a publishers and we'll see how it goes."

"Ten galleons says they accept."

"Oh, you're on." She laughed. "How's the new school year looking so far, have they filled the Defense post yet?"

Severus's mild demeanor turned cold and stony. "Let's talk about something else." He said through clenched teeth and Veronica sighed. He still didn't get it.

"I'm sorry Severus, but I think I have something that will make you feel better about it."

"I rather doubt that. But let's hear it"

Veronica smirked slyly. "You remember my sister Heather?"

"I know of her."

"Well her husband is in the potions field as well; a research position for medicines, and he and some of his coworkers are going to travel over to America next summer to look for rare species of plants only found in the swamps of the southern parts." she explained and Severus listened with increasing interest.

"I'm feeling a very interesting _and_ coming." He urged her to go on as a broad smile spread across Veronica's face.

"And they're looking for one more member to come along. And I told them I knew a particularly brilliant wizard who just so happened to be one of the best potions masters in the empire." She watched an unfamiliar glint flash through his dark eyes.

"You didn't."

"You wanna bet?" she presented to him a white slip of paper with an address and a name on it. "It's not until next year but if I were you I'd give it a chance."

Severus started at the paper in wonder.

He'd only ever heard of opportunities like this, and never dreamed one would come his way. But there it was in black and white.

"I…I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll think about it." She insisted. "Or better yet that you'll do it."

Severus legitimately grinned from ear to ear. "I don't know how to thank you."

"Well this place is about to close, but if you really want to thank me you'd offer to pay for some coffee then walk a lady home." Veronica prompted boldly and Severus stood and offered her his hand.

"I would be delighted."

It was growing dark outside and as the two walked Veronica hooked her arm around his straight one.

"Promise me you'll be careful until Black is caught?" he asked and Veronica nodded as they reached the building.

"I'd be foolish not to be." She shrugged. "Promise me you'll think about the offer."

"I swear it."

She hummed and nodded. "Good"

He escorted her up the stairs until they reached her door. "Can I see you again, but for the year starts?" she asked. "Believe it or not this is the most fun I've had in three months."

Severus tried to suppress a pleased smile and nodded. "Of course."

Veronica opened her door and the second she did Dog came flying out, making her squeal and almost drop her keys as the canine pushed himself between the two and growled viciously at Severus.

"What in the…! Hey!" Veronica scolded the animal and tried to push him back in the apartment. "Knock it off"

Dog barked loudly and to their surprise actually lunged at Severus legs, making him stumble back quickly.

"Shit!" Severus cursed and glared at the dog before the animal and the man met eyes for the first time and Severus felt a faint and disturbing flicker of recognition.

"I'm so sorry." Veronica sputtered and managed to shove the barking dog back into the flat and close the door. "Honestly, I…I'm so sorry, Severus."

"It's alright, really. But I don't think you should be keeping that thing in your apartment anymore." Severus eyed the door carefully.

"Yeah, I'll call a shelter and have someone pick him up tonight." Veronica agreed. "Thanks again for tonight. I'll be in touch."

Severus nodded and eyed her carefully. He didn't quite know how to say goodbye after something like this.

Luckily Veronica did know and took his hand gently before standing on her tip toes to plant and lightly kiss on his cheek shyly. "Goodnight Severus." She muttered, suddenly bashful as she slip into the flat and closed the door.

Severus stood there, shell shocked for a minute before his cheeks grew hot.

"Goodnight." He muttered to the empty air and made sure he hall was clear before apperating out.

Meanwhile Veronica had locked Dog in the Bathroom and dialed the number of a shelter.

"Yeah, I have a dog here that I found yesterday in the streets. I've kept it here but I don't think I can anymore…Yeah…uh male." Veronica tucked the phone in the crook of her neck and listened carefully for any trouble in the bathroom.

"No he doesn't seem very violent just protective…I think he was someone's guard dog. Yeah…How long will that be…Yeah I can…" She paused and listened. The noise changed. There were no more nails on tile, instead it sounded more like heavy foot fall.

"Yes, I'm still here…One hour? Thank you." Veronica hung up the phone and listened again to the definite sound of two feet pacing the tiles of the bathroom.

Slowly reaching for the knife block, Veronica withdrew a long kitchen knife and crept for the bathroom door.

The footsteps stopped and she trembled but reached for the knob with the knife at the ready.

Her heart raced painfully as she turned the knob and slowly opened the door and peered in before the door was yanked open from the other side.

He was a bone thin man in striped rags for clothes and a face that was more beard than man.

It only took her a second to realize who it was and a split second more to start screaming bloody murder.

The man was startled by her shrieks and whipped around to the bathroom to find no escape.

Veronica ran for the kitchen phone but the convict rushed past her, accidentally shoving her to the floor in the process as he reached the open window and jumped for the fire escape as Veronica dashed for the phone and called the specialized Auror Hotline. The only Wizarding phone service they had because letters didn't work fast enough.

After reporting the incident it only took a few minutes Aurors to arrive at her door followed by Severus, who had heard the screams but was stopped by the Aurors from entering.

The area was quickly secured and one of the Aurors sat with Veronica on the couch and took her statement.

"Ma'am I need you to calm down." He said slowly as Severus was quick to be at Veronica's side, angry and defensive.

" _Calm Down?_ She very well could have been killed!"

"Severus please." Veronica whispered and nodded. "I am calm, I know what I saw. Sirius Black was here and he jumped out that window and onto the fire escape."

"And how did he get in your flat again?"

"I thought he was just a stray dog, I took him in last night…I had no idea." She trembled terribly. "Jesus Christ; I was asleep in the other room, he could have done anything."

Severus's hand snuck protectively to her shoulder. "It won't do any good to worry about that now." He muttered.

"Can you describe the dog?"

"Uh, big, black…it had yellow eyes, a little mangy looking." Veronica sighed and leaned back on her couch, hand over her forehead.

The Auror copied all of this down, nodding. "Do you have anywhere else to stay tonight? Friends? Family?"

"I uh…I have some family. But I don't know if I can get a hold of them this time of night." Veronica ran her fingers through her hair and Severus sighed.

"You may stay with me if you wish." He offered slowly. "If only for the night I mean…"

Veronica stared at him in surprise. "Thank you Severus…are you sure?"

"Positive. You can't stay here."

"Well" the Auror nodded. "That's settled. Ms. Largo if you'd be willing to come to the Ministry tomorrow to go over your story for a few other people."

"Of course, of course. Thank you." Veronica nodded as they began to file out, a few spitting orders of who would canvas what area.

"Come on" Severus took her arm slowly. "Do you need anything, clothes or…?"

"Yeah, yeah I'll uh…" Veronica couldn't even finish the thought. "Thank you for this Severus, Honestly. You're…You're just spectacular."

Severus smirked a little. "That's a new one" He half joked, trying to lighten the mood until veronica spontaneously embraced him around the middle. "Oh…okay uh." He awkwardly patted her back. "Go…go get your clothes. I'll be here."

Veronica nodded and pulled away, slipping into the bedroom a minute to return with a small white bag and her wand which had been on the nightstand. The moment she saw it she realized she had left it there while she had gone out, Black could have stolen it and killed her the second she walked through the door.

She still hadn't stopped trembling as she hooked her arm around Severus's and he whisked her away with a pop.

They landed in the living room of a plain, somber looking house.

"You take the bed, I sleep in the study anyway." Severus insisted but Veronica seemed unwilling to detach herself from him.

"Hey." She looked up at him meekly. "Are you alright?"

She nodded silently but held onto him tighter. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "I guess I'm still just a little…shaken. That's all."

"Understandable" Severus nodded and gently pried her hands off his arm. "I will write Dumbledore, and look into some protection for you until Black is caught."

"Oh Severus, you don't have to do that. I don't want to trouble anyone." Veronica began to protest and Severus rolled his eyes. Woman couldn't have been murdered and she didn't want to burden anyone.

"The bedroom is this way and the bathroom is to the right." He shoved her slightly to the hall. "Go on."

As she left Severus sat down in his study to write a very urgent Letter to Dumbledore that could not and would not wait until morning.

 _Albus,_

 _In light of recent events, I think it would be in the best interests of all involved if Veronica returned to Hogwarts this Semester…._

FIN

 **Don't worry, I'm not leaving it there. Stay tuned for the next installment of what will hopefully be a successful series.**


	26. Author's Note: Hello my Darling!

**Hey! The story continues with my new story Honey Bee! Come check it out soon!**


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